


All is fair in the game called love

by SasuNarufan13



Series: Struggle for life and love [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Bottom!Harry, Drama, Dumbledore Bashing, Golden Trio doesn't last long, Lemon, Limes, M/M, Ron Bashing, Slash, Slight Ginny Bashing, Slight Hermione Bashing, Slight Molly Weasley bashing, Takes place after fifth year, slight AU, some violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-15
Updated: 2013-10-14
Packaged: 2017-12-26 16:14:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 193,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/967986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SasuNarufan13/pseuds/SasuNarufan13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Draco has found a way to switch Harry to Slytherin and tries to get Harry to love him too. But will he succeed or will Harry think that Draco's crush is just a lie? And how will they cope with the House's rivality and with Voldemort?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Draco's plan

**Author's Note:**

> My oldest long chaptered Harry Potter story. The beginning can be OOC at times, but I promise it'll get better near the middle. It's complete, so the chapters will be posted fairly quickly - also because I'm already posting the sequel on another site and I want to be up to date on this site as well, but first this story has to be posted
> 
> As stated in the tags, there will be Molly/Ron/Ginny and slight Hermione bashing. There will also be Dumbledore bashing, because in this story he isn't exactly the good guy
> 
> I'm editing this, so I apologize if there are any mistakes left behind  
> Also I apologize in advance if I messed up the Latin spells - it's been a while since I last studied Latin
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it
> 
> I hope you'll like this!  
> Also I know it's a fairly short chapter, but I promise the others will be longer  
> Translation spell: 'ante amicitiam, pacem et concordiam, dimitte hanc inimicitiam' = 'For friendship, peace and union, let this hostility leave'

**Chapter 1: Draco's plan**

Draco Malfoy frowned, putting wrinkles on his previously smooth forehead while he looked at the shelves in the Hogwarts library. Normally he wouldn't even be here, because it was the summer holidays, but his father - along with Severus (his godfather) and the Headmaster - deemed it safer to stay here, because the Malfoy family had switched sides a few weeks ago. Instead of supporting the Dark Lord, they were now siding with the Light side. That didn't mean the Malfoys would let themselves be treated like pawns in the game that Dumbledore played – oh, no. They were Malfoys after all.

But the family had to tolerate the old manipulative fool, because he was the only one who could provide safety for them.

When the media had spread the news that the Malfoys had switched sides, other families had the courage to switch sides as well. The Parkinsons and the Zabinis were just a few of them. Unfortunately, Draco's two bodyguards and friends, Crabbe and Goyle, were removed from school and transferred to Durmstrang.

His remaining friends were also staying at Hogwarts. Their parents had fled the country to make sure their children were safe.

Draco sighed when he thought about his parents. Lucius was also staying at Hogwarts, because he wouldn't be safe at Malfoy Manor. His private chambers were in the dungeons, of course, close to the ones of Severus. He was currently speaking with Dumbledore about his place in the Order of the Phoenix; Draco snorted, but didn't dwell on that ridiculous order for now.

Instead, he thought about his mother, Narcissa, who had been furious about Lucius' decision to change sides and left them. Not that Draco minded. She hadn't exactly been a loving mother, so he didn't miss her. Narcissa had asked for an immediate divorce when she had heard not only the news about their change in allegiance, but that her now ex-husband had saved her cousin Sirius Black. When her insane sister Bellatrix Lestrange had tried to kill the man by sending a curse that would push Black into a veil, which would have killed him, Lucius had cast a spell to push Black away from it.

Draco had been curious and had asked why his father had saved Black. The answer came not from Lucius, but instead from his godfather Severus and had left him stunned. Sirius Black was Harry Potter's godfather.

When Harry and Black had met each other two years ago, they had bonded quickly. Apparently Harry viewed him as a surrogate father, along with the werewolf Remus Lupin, and would have been devastated if Black had died. Lucius had a moment of pity for the boy who had lost so much, and had saved Black so Harry wouldn't lose another member of his family. Malfoys above all else understood the value of one's family.

Now, normally, Draco couldn't have cared less if someone had died in that fight in the Department of Mysteries, even if it was distant family, but he had been happy to hear that Harry's godfather had survived. You see: Draco had a crush on Harry Potter since his fourth year. He'd known he preferred boys since he was thirteen, but hadn't realized how huge his crush on Harry was until the middle of his fourth year, when he felt the unmistakable rush of fear while watching Harry face the dragon in the Triwizard Tournament.

Even before this crush, he had been interested in Harry Potter. He had wanted to be the boy's friend ever since he first saw him in Madam Malkin's, and had been terribly upset when the other boy had turned his hand down. Draco had felt even worse when he realized that a Weasley had won Harry's friendship, together with that irritating Miss Know–It–All–Granger. So, to get Harry's attention – even if it was in a bad way – Draco had been making Harry's life a tad bit more difficult at Hogwarts. Just to get the boy to notice him.

But now, he wanted more. He wanted Harry's _positive_ attention and most of all his love. He hadn't told anybody yet of his crush. He didn't think the reactions would be very good, because he was a Malfoy and a Slytherin and Harry was the Golden Boy of Gryffindor.

Slytherins and Gryffindors didn't have crushes on each other. They hated each other. It was an unspoken rule.

So, Draco needed something that would help him get Harry.

 _If only Harry was a Slytherin, things would be so much easier_ , Draco thought as he wandered through the aisles. _Come on, there must be_ something _here that will help_ , he thought irritated. The Hogwarts library had never failed him before.

He reached a dark corner and had just turned around to go back to choose another aisle when he heard something fall. Quickly he turned around and looked down, where he saw a thick, old, dusty book on the floor.

Feeling curious, Draco picked it up and he carefully placed the old book on the table on his left. He brushed away the dust and the title appeared in dark golden letters in the middle of the worn out cover.

' _Rituals of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry'_

_Written by Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw._

_Now this looks interesting_ , Draco thought and raised his eyebrows. What kind of rituals would the book contain? And why was this book hidden away in such an out of the way place? Draco opened the book and coughed a bit when dust hit him in the face. The first page was the table of contents.

' _How to change a room to a different place'_

' _How to locate a teacher in times of emergency'_

' _How to change students to a different House to provide understanding'_

A smile lit up his face. If this was still possible to do, then he had found the solution to his problem. Eagerly he looked down at the register to search for the page of this ritual and browsed through the book to find the right page. _Ah, there it is_ , he thought and began to read the page with excitement.

' _How to change students to a different House to provide understanding'_

_This ritual has been invented to create understanding and peace between the different Houses. It is especially useful in times when there is much hostility between the Houses – for example: Gryffindor and Slytherin._

_We believe that it would be wise if students were to learn about the differences between the Houses by living and studying with them – experiencing those differences for themselves._

_We believe that switching entire years would be counter-productive to our purpose –for then the students would stick with their House-mates rather than meeting the people of their alternate House. We have decided to only switch one of each House to the other House. If one person gave that House a chance and befriended them, it would serve as a great example for the others in their House to follow swiftly._

_To cut down on the biggest rivalries, one Gryffindor would switch with one Slytherin and one Hufflepuff would switch with one Ravenclaw._

_The switch will last until all the Houses have made peace with each other. Thus, the switch can last for a month, a year or even longer._

_Because there is no specific time limit, we decided upon a safety precaution: only the years Five till Seven can take place in this ritual. These years would likely be stronger in their beliefs that their House was better than the others, so this ritual would be most beneficial for them. Also, they would hopefully be mature enough to be able to mend any and all differences._

_For the ritual you will need:_

_\- the names and Houses of all students from years Five to Seven, written on a slip of parchment;_

_\- the House cup to put the names in;_

_-the spell 'Ante amicitiam, pacem et concordiam, dimitte hanc inimicitiam'._

_First, you activate the cup with the spell. Next, each student has to drop his or her parchment in the cup._

_After a minute, the cup will glow and it will spit out the name with the respective color of the House. For example: a student's name from Slytherin will come out with a green and silver cloud._

_Once the cup has spit out the name, the student must immediately go to the respective House for his stay._

_One cannot switch with another student or withdraw him or herself._

_This ritual would be best performed on the first day of the school year, so that the lessons will not pose a problem.'_

_This is perfect!_ , Draco thought with a huge grin. It would not only help him, but it would also be beneficial for the atmosphere in the school. Merlin knew there were problems with union between the different Houses.

Draco closed the book and held it close to his chest. He went to Madam Pince, the school librarian, to check out his book. Then he began to walk to Dumbledore's office. He had to show this ritual to Severus and his dad. Maybe they could convince Dumbledore to perform this ritual.

 _After all_ , Draco thought grinning, _the ritual will be very good for Hogwarts._

He fleetly thought about how he was supposed to get the cup to agree to spit out Harry's name, but he decided he would think about that later. For now he had parents and professors to convince.


	2. Some startling revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seeing as I still have some time left before school starts again, here's the next chapter :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it
> 
> I hope you'll like it!

**Chapter 2: Some startling revelations**

Draco found himself standing in front of the gargoyle that hid the passage to Dumbledore's office. In his happy rush he had forgotten that he didn't know the password. He knew it had to be some kind of sweet, but the question was: which one?

Draco decided to list off all the sweets he knew.

"Chocolate frogs?" Nothing.

"Lemon drops?" Still nothing.

"Peppermint stick?" Dumbledore was after all known to like Muggle sweets.

The gargoyle still didn't budge.

"Oh, come on! Bubblegum?" Draco asked, frustrated.

"Mister Malfoy! What are you doing here, young man?" The Charms professor's voice startled Draco and he quickly turned around. Flitwick stood behind him with a bundle of papers in his right hand and he was looking curiously at the young man before him.

"Good afternoon, Professor Flitwick," Draco greeted him and he held the book closer to his chest. "I need to speak with Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore, sir. I have found something interesting in one of the library books and I have a few questions."

"Is it important?" Flitwick asked as he eyed the book.

"You could say that, sir," Draco answered evasively.

The professor looked at him and sighed. "Very well. You can come with me. I have to deliver some papers to the Headmaster anyway." Flitwick walked past him and said to the gargoyle, "Acid drops."

The statue stepped aside and revealed a moving staircase. Flitwick and Draco stepped on the stairs and they began to move in circles to the top.

"Acid drops?" Draco couldn't resist asking. What kind of sweet was that?

The professor smiled. "A Muggle sweet. It's supposed to taste really sour."

Why Dumbledore would like such a thing, Draco would never understand. But then again, he had never understood a thing the Headmaster did.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Dumbledore's office, five men were arguing. Well, only three of them were arguing, while the other two were merely listening. These two were Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy. The other three were Albus Dumbledore, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black.

At the moment they were having a discussion about Harry Potter's living arrangements.

"I'm sorry, Sirius, but I can't let you go picking Harry up so soon in the summer," Dumbledore said, the twinkle in his blue eyes fading.

"And why not? He's my godson, damn it! I have every right to have him come and stay with me. In case you have forgotten, James and Lily have named me and Remus his legal guardians in case something should happen to them," Sirius said angrily and his hands formed fists. "And seeing as I now have a place to live, Harry should be living with me. Not with those vile Muggles who are mistreating him!"

"Sirius, my boy, it's too dangerous. Harry needs those wards for his protection. Your house is not safe enough. Besides, the Ministry is still looking for you. I don't think Harry would like to spend the rest of his summer locked up in a dark house," Albus tried to reason.

"Albus, honestly, do you really think Harry would care if he has to spend his summer indoors when he has the chance to spend time with his godfather? I'm certain Harry would jump at the chance to be with Sirius again. Especially after what happened at the Ministry," Remus spoke softly when it appeared Sirius was too baffled to say anything. "Besides, Harry is safe enough at Sirius' home. After all, it's the headquarters of the Order and you're the Secret Keeper. And the House of Black has some extremely powerful protection spells too. I doubt that Harry would be in any danger."

"I've promised Harry that he could come live with me if I found a place and I won't break my promise," Sirius said and his eyes glowed with the fire of his determination. "You said Harry needs the wards for his protection, but what if he needs to be protected from those Muggles instead?"

"Now, now, dear boy, I'm certain that Harry is safe with his family," Albus said, trying to calm Sirius down.

"You haven't heard what Harry told us about them, Albus. They sure as hell aren't treating him fine. Haven't you noticed how small and thin Harry is? Do you think that's normal? He isn't safe with them and I refuse to let Harry stay there. Merlin knows what could happen to him. I want my godson back, Albus, and I won't take no for an answer," Sirius said stubbornly. "Besides, I'm quite capable enough to protect Harry on my own."

"But Sirius…" Dumbledore was about to argue again, but was interrupted by Lucius.

"You know, as his legal guardians, Black and Lupin have every right to take care of Harry." Lucius studied his finger nails and continued, "There are a few things I'm curious about."

"And what are you curious about?" Albus asked, trying to stay patient.

"First of all, these wards you are speaking of – I assume they are blood wards?"

"Yes, they are," Albus answered cautiously. He didn't like the direction this conversation was going.

"And for the wards to be effective, there needs to be love. Correct?"

Dumbledore nodded once.

"From what I just have heard, there seems to be very little love lost between Harry and his relatives. So the wards don't have any effect. This reason for Black not allowing to take Harry can be thrown out of the window, I believe," Lucius smiled blandly.

The Headmaster wanted to protest, but Lucius held his hand up.

"I'm not done yet. I have a second point. A week ago, I was looking through some old cases, one of them being Black's, and I noticed something strange. You see, Black was arrested for betraying the Potters and for murdering Pettigrew and thirteen Muggles. Normally, every other convicted man would have gotten a trial; Veritaserum, at the very least. But not Black. He was sent straight to Azkaban without even a trial. Even you, Dumbledore, haven't defended him. He was a member of your precious order and you just turned your back on him when he needed someone to help him? How odd," Lucius said in a deadly soft voice.

Every man in the room, except for Snape and Lucius, had gone white.

"Seeing as I still have power in the Ministry, I can get Black a pardon. Oh dear, another reason to keep Harry from Black has disappeared," Lucius smirked. "And I'm still not finished. If Black and Lupin are really the boy's legal guardians, why didn't you give the boy to them after his parents died? Even if Black was arrested the day after, Lupin was still the boy's second guardian, so you should have given Harry to him. After all, Lupin knew the boy better than his Muggle relatives. Why give Harry to people who barely knew him, instead of given him to his legal guardian? Tell me, Dumbledore, did the goblins read the Potters' will out loud when they died? I'm certain that there would have been some useful information written in that will. For example, the place where Harry should go to if his parents passed away."

Complete silence followed his speech.

"Well, Albus. Has Harry heard the will of his parents?" Lucius asked in a soft voice. "I mean, the boy will turn sixteen soon. Surely he heard his parents' will when he first entered our world."

Dumbledore didn't answer and didn't look at his visitors.

"Are you telling me that Harry hasn't heard his parents' will yet? Fuck, Albus! Even if you were trying to protect him while he was a child, you could at least let the will be heard when he was eleven! Harry deserves to know that!" Sirius was definitely furious now. "And you knew the wards wouldn't work, and yet you still send him back, every bloody summer? Are you trying to kill him? And why didn't you give Harry to Remus when I was gone? You could have hid them if you were so concerned about Harry's protection. Harry would have been a hell of a lot happier living with Remus! At least then he wouldn't have been so ignorant about his past! And don't give me that crap about that Remus being a werewolf so he couldn't have taken care of Harry. That's bullshit! Remus was the only legal guardian he had left and you've stolen a perfectly happy childhood from my godson, just because you thought what you did was best! I can't believe you!" Sirius sprang up.

"Sirius, you don't understand…" Dumbledore began, but again he was interrupted.

"No, you don't understand! I'm sick of your meddling with other people's lives! If you know what good is for you, you'll stay away from my godson! Because so help me, if you don't stay away, I will rip you to pieces! No one hurts my godson and you, Headmaster, have hurt him enough! Be glad I don't kill you now. I'm going to pick up Harry now, and if you try to interfere, there will be some serious consequences!"

Sirius turned to the other men. "Come on, Moony, let's go pick up our godson."

Remus nodded grimly and stood up. The two men took their coats and walked to the door.

"Excuse me, gentlemen, but do you mind if we come with you?" Lucius asked, inwardly grinning at the stunned face of Dumbledore. "I would like to properly introduce myself to your godson and ask for forgiveness. And it will be much easier for you if I come with you, so nobody would dare try to arrest you. If you like, I can ask for your freedom at the Ministry today, so there won't be any problems."

"Eh, that's very generous of you, Mister Malfoy. I think we would like that, wouldn't we, Sirius?" Remus prompted his best friend.

"Well, I can't believe I'm saying this, but it seems as if you're more trustworthy than Dumbledore, Malfoy. I don't see why you can't come with us. That is, if you don't try to kill my godson," Sirius added in a light voice.

Lucius shook his head amused. "Please, call me Lucius. And no, I won't try to kill your godson. Life would be far too boring without him."

"Hm, well, you can call me Sirius and him Remus, if we stick to the first name policy," Sirius said with a slight smile.

"Very well. Come on, Severus," Lucius said and stood up.

"What, me? Why should I come? I don't have any interest in seeing Potter yet, thank you very much. I see him enough during the school year," Snape said, slightly disgusted.

"I'm sure Harry feels the same way about you. I don't want him to die from shock when he sees your face," Sirius sneered.

Before Snape could reply, Lucius interrupted the two men.

"Be that as it may, Severus can provide nutritious potions, if the boy needs them," Lucius said, the very picture of calm and collected.

"Fine!" Sirius spat. "But if that greasy git over there tries to insult my godson, his body parts will be used in potions."

"I'll say it again, Black. Potter is so much like his father, that insults won't have any desired effect. He only gets more arrogant," Snape sneered.

"Son of a bitch! I'll kill you!" Sirius tried to lunge at Snape, but Remus took a hold of him.

"Sirius, calm down! He isn't worth it! Harry won't like it if you end up in prison again for killing his professor," Remus said, struggling with Sirius.

Sirius stopped trying to escape his hold. "Fine, but only for Harry."

"Of course. Only for Harry. Come on, now," Remus said with a smile.

Just when Remus went to open the door, the door opened and revealed two men: Filius Flitwick and Draco Malfoy.

"Draco, what are you doing here?" Lucius asked, hiding his surprise.

Flitwick nodded at the men and walked towards the Headmaster.

"I just discovered something interesting in a book and I had a few questions, but it seems as if I came in at a bad moment." Draco looked curiously at the men gathered before him. He wondered where his father and Severus were going, together with Black and Lupin. "Good afternoon, Mister Black and Professor Lupin."

"Hello Draco," Remus smiled.

"Little Malfoy," Black nodded.

"If I may ask, where are you going to, father?" Draco asked politely.

"Severus, Sirius, Remus and I are going to pick up Harry, Draco. Then we are going to visit Gringotts and the Ministry," Lucius answered.

Harry?! They were going to pick up Harry?

"I'm sorry to bother you, but is it possible for me to come along with you?" Draco asked, hiding his excitement and hope.

Black frowned. "Eh, do you have a reason? I seem to remember that you and Harry don't get along very well."

A very light blush colored Draco's cheekbones. "Yes, well, eh," He cleared his throat. "I wanted to talk with Harry and apologize for my past behaviour. But if you don't want me to come, I suppose I can wait until September."

"I don't see why he can't come too, Padfoot. After all, the Malfoys are now a part of the Order too. Harry will eventually meet them when he goes to stay at your house. Maybe this will give him a chance to warm up to them," Lupin said to the great surprise of Draco.

Black sighed. "Very well, he can come too. But if Harry gets angry, I'm saying it's your fault. I don't fancy facing his temper. It's even worse than Lily's, and that's saying something."

Lupin smiled. "All right. I will take the blame."

Black turned to Draco. "You heard it, you can come. If that's all right with your father, of course."

Lucius nodded. "I don't see any problems with you coming too."

Draco smiled. "Thank you father, Mister Black, Professor Lupin. And of course Severus."

Severus grumbled, but said nothing.

"Hey, Draco, you can call me Sirius and him Remus. We're too young to be called mister. And kid? If Harry gets angry, stay out of his reach. I don't fancy seeing the hospital today," Sirius said with a grimace.

"Okay," Draco nodded.

"What's wrong, Black? Scared of a fifteen year old boy who can't even use magic yet?" Severus mocked.

"I hope you're the one who receives the brunt of Harry's anger, Snivellus. I'd like to see how you would look like when Harry's done with you," Sirius answered without any mockery.

"All right, stop it, you two!" Remus growled. "Come on, we have to get Harry."

The men nodded and started to walk out of the office, heading to the gates to Apparate.


	3. Picking up Harry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the third chapter has arrived.  
> Warnings for this one: some cursing, slight Dursley-bashing, probably a bit OOC when it comes to Draco, sorry for that
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 3: Picking up Harry**

Draco Apparated by holding his father's arm, because he didn't have a license nor had he practiced on his own. They arrived in a small street in a quiet area, where every house looked almost exactly the same.

"Harry lives here?" Draco asked, surprised.

Remus nodded. "A bit further down, yes." He turned to Sirius. "Now, before we go, you have to promise me you will behave yourself. You will not, I repeat not, under any circumstances, curse the Dursleys. Understood?"

Sirius pouted – he already had his wand within hand reach. "But, Moony!" he whined. "They deserve to be punished for what they did to Harry. I'm sure Harry won't mind."

"That's not the point, Padfoot, and stop whining! You simply can't curse them. I mean it, Sirius," Remus said sternly.

"You're no fun, Moony," Sirius pouted. Then he brightened up. "Can I at least threaten them? I won't curse them, I promise – although they deserve it – but I just want to threaten them a little."

Remus sighed. "Why? It's not as if Harry will see them again after today."

"True, but I want to have a little fun. Please, Moony? Please?" Sirius begged, using the puppy eyes.

"Oh, all right! You can threaten them. Happy now?" Remus asked exasperated, but amusement shone in his eyes.

"A little bit. I will feel happier when I see Harry. Come, it's time to save Harry from insanity." Promptly Sirius turned into his black dog form.

Draco's silver blue eyes widened. "Sirius is an Animagus?"

"Yes, how do you think he survived the past two years, before he went back to his house?" Remus asked rhetorically. "Let's go now."

The four men and the dog walked out the alley and walked straight ahead.

"This area is so creepy," Draco muttered.

Remus heard him and smiled. "Yeah, that was our first reaction too when we visited the Dursleys."

They walked past a few houses until they were almost at the end of the street and stopped before number four.

"Here it is," Remus mumbled and the group walked to the door.

Draco could barely hide his excitement. He would see Harry soon!

Remus wanted to knock on the door, when they heard voices shouting from in the house.

"HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE DUDDYKINS OF BREAKING HIS CELLPHONE? WHY WOULD HE DO SUCH A THING?" a woman shouted in a shrill voice and the men outside flinched.

"WE ALL KNOW HOW JEALOUS YOUR ARE OF DUDLEY, BOY, BUT HE GETS PRESENTS BECAUSE HE DESERVES THEM, UNLIKE YOU! YOU'RE SUCH AN UNGRATEFUL FREAK!" a man shouted.

"OH, PLEASE, WHY WOULD I WANT TO BREAK HIS CELLPHONE? I'M BARELY IN THIS HOUSE!" a boy, whose voice resembled Harry's, shouted back. "I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE NOTICED IT, BUT DUDLEY HAS BECOME SO FAT HE PROBABLY HAS CRUSHED HIS PHONE WHEN HE SAT ON IT."

"HOW DARE YOU! MY DUDDYKINS ISN'T FAT, HE'S A STRONG AND HEALTHY BOY. HE JUST HAS BIG BONES." the woman cried.

"OH, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! THE ONLY THING THAT HAS BIGGER 'BONES' THAN YOUR SON IS A DINOSAUR, AND THEY'VE DIED OUT!" Harry's voice sneered.

"BOY! YOU ARE SO LUCKY THAT WE PROMISED TO TAKE CARE OF YOU, OR ELSE WE WOULD HAVE THROWN YOU OUT YEARS AGO! YOU'RE SO UNGRATEFUL! I'LL BET YOU WILL END UP JUST LIKE YOUR PARENTS! USELESS AND THANK GOD DEAD! OR MAYBE YOU WILL END UP LIKE YOUR PRECIOUS GODFATHER: IN PRISON! IT WOULD SERVE YOU RIGHT. BY THE WAY, DOES YOUR GODFATHER STILL LIVE, OR IS HE DEAD? 'CAUSE I DON'T SEE OR HEAR HIM! LOOKS LIKE EVEN YOUR GODFATHER DOESN'T WANT YOU, OR ELSE HE WOULD HAVE TAKEN YOU AWAY FROM HERE ALREADY!" the man taunted.

"BASTARD! TAKE THAT BACK! HOW DARE YOU INSULT MY PARENTS AND MY GODFATHER? THEY ARE BETTER THAN YOU WILL EVER BE!" Harry shouted.

"Okay, I've heard enough. Stand back!" Remus growled and the other three hastily followed the order. Remus took his wand and a few seconds later he blasted the door open.

The group followed Remus inside and were greeted with the sight of a horse-like woman standing in the opening of a door with a big, fat boy who looked like a pig behind her; Harry standing on the top of the stairs and a whale of a man standing in front of a living room.

The woman screamed when she saw the men standing in her hallway and screamed even louder when the black dog returned to his human form.

"For the love of god, woman, stop shouting!" Snape barked and Petunia went silent from the shock.

Harry smiled. "Hey, you guys. I've missed you."

Remus smiled too. "We missed you too, cub."

Sirius grinned and opened his arms. "Come and give your godfather a hug, Prongslet. I've missed you."

Harry laughed, but walked down and hugged his godfather. He smiled mischievously. "Doesn't Moony give you enough hugs?"

"You insolent brat!" Sirius laughed and put Harry in a headlock. "I'll have you known that Moony does indeed give me hugs, but I like my godson's hugs as well."

"Good to know," Harry grinned. "Now, let go of me please."

"Nope. When's the last time you brushed your hair?" Sirius asked and ruffled through the black unruly hair of his godson.

"This morning; apparently it was no use," Harry answered dryly.

"Has your hair ever been tidy?"

"Excuse me, but I can't help it that I inherited my father's hair," Harry huffed, looking insulted.

Sirius let his godson out of his headlock and said, "Hm, maybe we ought to get your hair cut."

Harry's green eyes went wide and he backed away from his godfather. "You're staying away from my hair! I mean it, Sirius!"

Sirius grinned and said, purring, "You know, Harry, as your guardian I take care of you and one of the things I do is getting your hair cut."

"Padfoot, I mean it! You stay away from my hair! Remus, help me!" He turned his big green eyes in full doggy eyes mode and pouted a little.

Remus tried not to laugh, but failed. He hugged Harry and held him next to him, away from his godfather, who was now again pouting.

"Of course, cub, I'll help you stay away from Padfoot," Remus laughed.

Harry relaxed at his side. "Thanks."

Snape rolled his eyes, but refrained from speaking. Lucius was watching, amused, and Draco was trying to control his lust when he saw Harry pouting those full pink lips.

"But Harry! I'm your most favorite person," Sirius whined.

Harry snorted. "Not until you promise to stay away from my hair."

Sirius was just about to reply, when Vernon Dursley shouted, "Who do you think you are? Barging into my house like that! Who are you?" Spit flew in every direction.

Harry sighed and began to introduce them.

"The man with the black hair, next to the blonde one, is Severus Snape. Potions Master, professor at Hogwarts, spy and former Death Eater," Harry ignored the hiss of Snape and continued, "Those two blondes are the Malfoys. The elder Malfoy is Lucius, former Death Eater and works at the Ministry. Next to him is his son, Draco, a classmate of mine. The man next to me is, as you already know, my godfather Sirius Black, a convicted murderer who's on the run and last but not least, this is Remus Lupin, another best friend of my parents, best DADA teacher I have ever had and," here Harry smirked, "a werewolf."

A loud THUD sounded – Dudley had fainted and was currently lying on the floor.

"Oh, Duddykins, wake up, please! Mommy is here!" Petunia cried.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM, BOY?" Vernon shouted. His face went slowly purple.

"He's just fainted, you fool!" Snape snapped. "Potter didn't do anything special. My god, man, have you always been that dense?"

"How dare you insult me?" Vernon wanted to continue, but closed his mouth when a wand was pressed against his throat.

"I've had enough of your shouting, Dursley. We've come to pick up Harry, not to be shouted at to death! Harry, go and get your stuff! Your uncle and I have to talk a little," Sirius snarled.

"I'm leaving?" Harry asked happily.

Remus nodded. "Yes, go and get your stuff, Harry. Draco will help you."

Harry glanced at Draco quickly and nodded. "All right. This way, Malfoy."

Draco took a deep breath and silently followed Harry up the stairs, while he tried his best to not look at the nice arse and long legs of his crush.

The two boys stopped before a door with ten locks on it and a cat door placed in it. Draco's mouth fell open when he saw the door and was even more shocked when he saw the inside of the room. A quick glance around him showed Draco an untidy, but clean bedroom. There was a small bed, a closet and a desk. Harry's trunk was open and situated against the right wall, under the window. His owl cage, which contained his now sleeping pure white owl, was standing on his closet.

"Why are there locks on your door?" Draco asked without thinking and he held his breath when Harry looked at him. Would he be angry? After all, Draco hadn't apologized yet. Theoretically speaking, they were still enemies.

_Please, don't get angry_ , Draco begged silently.

After a moment of awkward silence, Harry answered, "Because they don't want to risk their precious lives. Merlin forbid, I would walk to their rooms at night, trying to kill them. Actually, those locks were placed in the summer before second year, when your former house-elf decided to drop a cake on the wife of Uncle Vernon's boss." He then proceeded to continue his task of filling his trunk.

"They locked you up? That's barbaric!" Draco protested.

Harry's smile turned wry. "That's my life. Welcome to my world," he added in a sarcastic tone.

After a moment of watching Harry wandering about his room and filling his trunk, Draco felt courageous enough to ask another question.

"Do they always blame you if something goes wrong?" he asked carefully, not wanting to shatter the strange truce.

Harry spun around to face him. His face showed nothing more than surprise. "I take it your heard our conversation. Yes, they put mostly the blame on me. It's either me or the government. If something is wrong with my cousin, then it's always my fault. I'm used to it now."

"You don't sound like you care," Draco said, while rubbing his finger over the shrunken book in his pocket.

"I've faced Voldemort many times over the past six years and always managed to escape. If I can survive a madman determined to kill me, I can survive the verbal abuse of my beloved family. After all, who is more a danger to me: a powerful dark wizard who wants me dead, or a few Muggles who dislike me?" Harry asked and raised one eyebrow.

Draco smiled wryly. "Well, if you put it that way, then I guess I understand your reason for not caring."

Harry closed his trunk and went to sit on the bed. His big green eyes studied the boy in the doorway.

"My turn to ask questions," he said suddenly. "Why are you, your father and Snape here?"

"Well, I don't know about my father and Severus –although I suspect my father forced Severus to come – but I – I wanted to apologize to you," Draco answered shyly and didn't look Harry in the eyes.

Harry was confused. Why would Malfoy apologize to him? He wasn't acting like his normal self, Harry realized. His eyes narrowed. Could this be a trap from Voldemort? What if this was a Death Eater, disguised as Malfoy? There was only one way to find out.

Harry pointed his wand towards Draco, ignored his shocked cry and said, "Tell me, when we had that detention in our first year with Hagrid, what creature were we looking for and who was in my group?"

Draco tried to stay calm, but that was hard when a wand was pointed at your throat! "Harry, what are you doing?"

The use of his first name made him even more suspicious. Malfoy had never called him 'Harry' before, it was always 'Potter'.

"Give me the bloody answer, Malfoy!" Harry snarled and Draco had to admit that Harry snarling was a huge turn on.

Unfortunately, this wasn't the time to think about that. Now he had an answer to give.

"Fine, I'll give you the answer! We were looking for a wounded unicorn. Your group consisted of you, me and that cowardly dog, Fang. When we had found the wounded unicorn, a hooded something was drinking from it," Draco answered quickly. "There, satisfied?"

To his relief Harry lowered the wand and he relaxed slightly.

"Sorry, I thought you were a disguised Death Eater," he explained.

Draco gaped. "Why would you think I was a Death Eater?"

"Why wouldn't I think that? You've come here to apologize to me for Merlin knows what – something the old Malfoy wouldn't do –you called me 'Harry' instead of the usual 'Potter'; you were asking questions about my life and you were speaking to me without insulting or mocking me. All these things that the Malfoy I know wouldn't do, even if his life depended on it," Harry answered. "Why the sudden change of attitude? And why did you call Snape by his first name?"

"I call Severus by his first name because he's my godfather," Draco started to answer.

"Your godfather? No wonder you're his favourite," Harry scoffed.

"Excuse me? I'm his favourite because I'm good at his subject! That has nothing to do with him being my godfather. Maybe if you tried harder to be good at his class, you wouldn't lose so many points," Draco defended himself. He knew he was probably now in the danger zone of getting Harry angry with him. He hadn't meant to sound it like an attack. Why couldn't he be more careful with what he said?

To his surprise began Harry to laugh. "Oh, please, my potions would be reasonably made if you Slytherin guys didn't always try to mess with my potions. It's easy to make a good potion if you're not distracted. Besides, even if my potions were well made, Snape would still take points off of me. If you haven't noticed it yet, your godfather doesn't like me. He hates my father and Sirius, why would you think he would make an effort to like me?" He had stopped laughing, but was still grinning. "It doesn't matter anymore if I'm good at Potions or not. I'm not taking it this year."

"What? Why not?" Draco asked surprised. He hid his sadness; if Harry wasn't taking Potions anymore, then he would lose more time he could spend watching him without anyone noticing it.

"Because I'm pretty sure I haven't gotten the marks you need to be allowed to take sixth year Potions. Not that I will miss it," Harry snorted.

"Well, we haven't received our OWL's yet. Maybe you're wrong and you have the marks to pass," Draco said nonchalantly. Secretly he was planning on talking to Severus and possibly bribing him into taking Harry in his class. There's no way he would let somebody steal his time with Harry, even if this somebody was his godfather!

"I doubt that," the dark haired boy replied dryly. He shook his head. "Anyway, you still haven't answered my first question: why the sudden change?"

Draco sighed, walked further into the room and closed the door behind him. He was going to apologize to Harry, but that didn't mean everybody had to hear it. He still had some dignity, thank you very much.

He went to sit on the desk, while the other boy was monitoring his moves like a hawk.

_He probably thinks I'm going to curse him_ , Draco thought, inwardly snorting. He supposed he couldn't blame the guy for it after all those years.

"Look, since my father had decided he no longer wanted to work for the Dark Lord, I've been doing some thinking. I've realized I've been an idiot and a prat the last five years. There's no excuse for my behaviour. I shouldn't have done all those things, just because we had a stupid disagreement on the train on our first day. I also shouldn't have let myself be influenced because of stupid prejudices about some of your friends and the hostility between our Houses. So I apologize to you. I'm sorry," Draco forced the last two words out of his mouth. Merlin, but it had been so hard to say all those things! He hoped this apology was enough for Harry, because he couldn't think of another way to say this.

_Well, this is an unexpected surprise_ , Harry thought and blinked his eyes. Of all the people he knew, Malfoy was the last person he expected to apologize to him. What should he do now? He knew the apology was real – there was no way Malfoy would humiliate himself like that. He was a Malfoy after all.

Harry had to admit this rivalry with Malfoy was ridiculous. He couldn't even remember when exactly it had begun.

"You're not the only one who was an idiot, you know. My friends and I are as much at fault for this as you are, so I own you an apology too. After all, I have done things to you too and let prejudices get the better of me. So I'm sorry too," Harry said with a slight blush.

_He should blush more often_ , Draco thought. _He looks so cute now._

"So, am I forgiven?" Draco asked hopefully.

"Only if you forgive me too," Harry grinned.

Draco pretended to think about it and sighed dramatically, "Oh, all right. I forgive you."

"Then you're forgiven too," Harry smiled.

Draco's breath got caught in his throat. Harry was so beautiful with that smile.

Draco picked up his courage for the last time and asked, "Do you think we can try to be friends?"

Harry's eyes widened for a second, but he answered, "Only on two conditions."

The blonde boy gulped. "And those are?"

"We will try to get to know each other's friends and we will use our first names. No more 'Malfoy' or 'Potter'. Deal?" Harry held his hand out.

Draco smiled and nodded and shook the boy's hand. "Deal."

"I can't believe I'm friends with a Slytherin now," Harry mock-groaned. "My dad's probably now busy with contemplating how to punish me when I go to heaven."

"Hey, you have it easy. You have to wait for your punishment, but my dad's still alive," Draco mock-complained.

"True, true. Well, send my regards to my parents when you're dead, will you? It seems as if you're going to meet them earlier than me!" Harry grinned.

"If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me, Harry," Draco threatened.

"I'm so scared right now!" Harry said in a mocking voice.

"Why you little…"

Draco's insult was interrupted by a man's voice.

"Are you boys finished? We're ready to go." Remus' voice was slightly muffled because of the closed door.

"Yeah, we're ready!" While Harry took his owl cage, Draco opened the door. Remus walked to the trunk, shrank it and placed it in his pocket.

Harry opened the window and asked, "Where should Hedwig go?"

"Grimmauld Place," Remus answered.

"You heard it, girl. I'll see you later." Hedwig affectionately nipped his ear and flew out through the open window. Remus shrank the cage as well and ushered the two boys out of the room.

"Forgive me for saying this, but for a moment I thought you were killing each other. You took so long, we all became worried," Remus smiled.

"Why would we kill each other?" Draco asked innocently.

Harry snorted. "Yeah, why would we? Don't you know that the blood of Purebloods is difficult to remove from carpet? I didn't want to leave my room all bloody and dirty."

"Hey, take that back! You should be honored to have the blood of a Pureblood in your room," Draco demanded in a heated tone.

"A Gryffindor never takes back what he said. Live with it," Harry retorted back.

The bickering between the two boys stopped when they reached the living room. On one couch sat Sirius, Lucius and Snape, while the Dursleys sat on the other.

The Dursleys were all white in the face – well, the adults were, seeing as Dudley was still unconscious – and Sirius still had his wand pointed at them.

Harry grinned. "What have I missed?"

"Only your godfather threatening your family," Remus answered dryly.

Harry swore. "Does that mean I missed all the fun?"

Draco chuckled when he heard the comment.

"Potter! How on earth have you managed to live here? I can't believe I'm saying this, but after meeting these idiots, I have to say you're apparently the only sane and normal person in your idiotic family!" Snape barked and sneered at the Dursleys.

_Did Snape just give me a compliment?_ , Harry thought shocked.

"That brat is the insane one here! He's the abnormal freak with his stupid magic tricks! I once believed that I could beat that abnormality out of him, but it didn't work. You're all freaks! I should have kicked him out a long time ago! If I had, I would have had a perfectly normal life! But no, I had to take that freak in! He should have died, like his parents, then there would be no - " Vernon's rant was cut off by four colored lights.

Vernon had now pig's ears and ulcers on his face and his skin was blue and yellow. The last spell didn't show up on his outer appearance, but that didn't mean there would be no damage.

Harry looked around and saw that Remus, Sirius, Lucius and –to his great shock – even Snape had their wands out.

Sirius stood up and said to Petunia, "If I ever see your face or that of your husband again, I will personally torture and kill you. Understood?" His eyes glittered maniacally.

Petunia nodded and looked terrified.

Lucius and Snape tucked their wands away and stood up.

Sirius turned to Harry. "Are you okay, kiddo?" he asked concerned. "Don't listen to them, they're just a…"

"A bunch of dense idiots who deserve a punishment," Snape finished the sentence. He looked at Harry and studied his thin body in the oversized clothes critically.

"When we're back in Grimmauld Place, I'm going to examine you, Potter. I want to know how much damage these poor excuses of humans did to you. And don't even think about protesting, Potter. Come on, now. It's getting late and we still have to visit the Ministry and the bank." He walked outside.

Harry's mouth fell open in shock. "What just happened?" he asked uncertainly.

"To be honest, kiddo, I don't understand it either," Sirius answered, shocked.

"That, Harry, was Sev going into protective mode. You're not getting out of this examination, so just deal with it," Draco laughed and clapped the other boy's thin shoulder.

"The world is going mad; that's the only explanation," Harry muttered.

"Severus is right, though; we should definitely be going," Lucius said and led the group outside. "First stop: the Ministry."


	4. The Ministry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's see, for the fourth chapter, the warnings include: slight Dumbledore bashing, an angry Harry and shifts between povs
> 
> Translation spell 'dilatate' = to widen (Apologies if this is wrong)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 4: The Ministry**

"All right; Harry, take my arm please. We're going to Apparate just outside the Ministry," Sirius said and hold out his arm for Harry to grab it.

"But, Sirius, you can't Apparate to the Ministry! They'll catch you and send you back to Azkaban," Harry said panicking.

"No, they will not. When we're there, I'll turn to Padfoot and then we go to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement – " Sirius' explanation was cut off by Lucius.

"Where I will demand a fair trial for your godfather. Once it's proven he's innocent, we'll go to Gringotts," Lucius finished the explanation.

Harry looked skeptically and worried. "But what if they won't give him a trial?"

"They will, Harry. It's a demand of me, a Malfoy. They will not dare to send him back to prison without giving him a trial," Lucius reassured.

"They did it last time. They could do it again," Harry pointed out, his body tense.

"Don't you trust me on this, Harry?" Lucius asked, surprisingly gentle.

Harry stared at him. "That's not it. I believe you could do this, Mister Malfoy, but I don't trust the Ministry."

"Please, call me Lucius. Do you trust the plan more if we get Dumbledore to the Ministry to testify?" Lucius asked. Although he hated the old man, Harry trusted him. Harry would probably relax, now he knew the group could call Dumbledore to help Sirius.

But Harry's answer shocked everyone. "Whatever you do, don't call the Headmaster." His green eyes darkened.

"Why not? The Ministry will listen to Dumbledore and Dumbledore will help Sirius," Draco said confused.

"That bastard wouldn't do a thing to help Sirius. He would probably get him arrested," Harry snarled.

"Harry! Where's your respect and trust in Albus?" Remus asked shocked. He didn't understand the sudden change in Harry towards the Headmaster.

"He's lost those things months ago!" Harry growled and crossed his arms.

"How come?" Draco asked.

"I don't know about you, but I don't trust somebody who keeps secrets from me; who lies about me about my own fucking life; who puts me by people who hate me under the pretence of the protective bloodwards that don't even work and lets incompetent, possessed or dangerous people teach!" Harry ranted. His eyes glowed dangerously and nobody dared to interrupt him. "He claims he's wise and has people knowledge, but he doesn't notice it when one of his teachers is possessed by Voldemort; when one is a fake hero-wannabe or when one is a disguised Death Eater! He turns his back on one of his Order members, when the people claims he's a murderer, instead of questioning the case. He didn't do a bloody thing to prevent the Ministry from putting Sirius in prison! He didn't help him two years ago, why would he help now? He didn't tell me that two of my parents' friends were still alive! He didn't tell me that I had a godfather! I had to hear it from Remus himself that he knew my parents! He puts me by people who like to see me dead and who don't give a shit about me, all because of the greater good! He didn't tell me some news of Voldemort last year, even when I was the one who let him know that arsehole was back! He claims I'm adult enough, but treats me like a child. He doesn't give a shit about what happens to me! I have to destroy his room to get to know something about my own bloody life!" Finally his rant stopped and he breathed in deeply. He was still furious, but he knew he had to control himself if he didn't want to blow something up.

"Didn't know you had it in you, Potter," Snape suddenly said, almost admiring. "Who would've thought? Dumbledore's Golden Boy turns against him."

Harry blushed slightly.

"We didn't know you felt that way, cub. Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Remus asked concerned.

"Eh, because I only began to feel that way, a couple of months ago?" Harry answered uncertainly.

"And what was the cause for this sudden change?" Remus asked bewildered. How had he not noticed how Harry had felt all those months? His cub had hidden his true feelings for months and nobody had noticed it. With unease Remus realized that Harry had become too good at hiding his emotions. When had he become so good at hiding his feelings? How long had he been doing that? And why?

Harry didn't know how to answer. So far only Snape and Remus had said something – the others appeared to be shocked. The two Malfoys were staring at him with a blank face, but he knew they were surprised. They definitely hadn't expected this rant from the Golden Boy, that was for sure. Snape only stared at him with unreadable black eyes, but he was used to it.

The reactions of Remus and Sirius were what he feared for. He was afraid they would be furious with him. After all, they were in the Order. They probably thought everything Dumbledore did or said, was right. So far, Remus only had asked for an explanation in a calm voice, but Harry suspected that the calmness was only due to shock and that any moment now, Remus would start shouting.

His godfather hadn't said anything so far, but it was clear he was still in shock. Once the shock wore off, he would be angry, Harry was sure about that.

He didn't know what to say, how to explain his change. The only thing he was sure about now, was the fact that he was afraid to lose Sirius and Remus. He was afraid they would abandon him, that they would hate him. He loved them; they were the only real family he had left.

 _But then again_ , a little voice in the back of his head said, _they never told you they consider you as family. And why would they? Since they know you, their lives have always been in danger. You're only trouble to them. It's your fault their lives are now in danger. The danger to them is bigger, because they know you. Why would somebody love a worthless freak like you? Isn't it obvious they don't want you? If they wanted you, why would they sent you back to the Dursleys every year?_

 _No, you're lying_ , Harry thought desperately. _They love me. And they do want me! After all, they came to pick me up. If they didn't want me, they wouldn't be here now!_

 _What if they only want you for the war?_ , the voice asked slyly.

 _That's not true! They don't only want me for the war!_ , Harry thought angrily.

 _If you say so._ The voice went silent.

Harry didn't like these confusing feelings and did his best to control them. He pushed them back mentally until he didn't feel them anymore. That was a relief to him; he didn't have the time to think about them now. He had an answer to give.

While Harry was fighting an internal battle, Snape was watching him. He didn't want to admit it, but he was slightly worried about the boy. After watching the Muggles and probing into their minds, he had been forced to change his view about the boy. And he didn't like it one bit that he was proven wrong. He had never been wrong before.

He had once believed the boy was just like his father, arrogant and a bully. But now… Now he had to admit his hatred for James Potter had blinded him. He hadn't given the boy a chance.

He forced himself to really look at the boy. Potter was too small and too thin for his age, he saw. The clothes he wore were clearly second-hands – probably from his fat cousin – and looked like they could easily slid off of the boy's body. His face was pale and he looked tired and tense.

Snape remembered the things he saw when he had looked into the Muggles' minds and was still shocked from what he had seen. The Muggles had let their nephew do chores until he was exhausted and barely conscious. They had refused him food if he had done something 'bad' – and Snape remembered those were the times when Potter had accidentally used his magic – basically they starved him. He was locked up in a cupboard for ten years and after that, he was locked up in a tiny room with locks on the door. The boy had been denied presents whereas his cousin had been overflowed with it. They hadn't once celebrated his birthday. Potter was beaten by his cousin and his friends when he wasn't quick enough to escape. The Muggles abused him verbally whenever they had the chance and sometimes even hit him.

 _All by all, it was a miracle the boy had survived and hadn't turned evil_ , Snape mused.

But what had most surprised him, was Potter's reaction when Albus was mentioned. Snape had clearly seen disgust in those green eyes and he briefly wondered how long it would take before this disgust turned into hatred.

Frankly speaking, after hearing Potter's rant, he couldn't deny that Potter was right. He had always known he couldn't trust the old manipulative fool and merely awaited his time to finally be free without the old fool's meddling. That a fifteen-year-old boy had seen through the manipulative schemes of the Headmaster was amazing. That this boy was Potter, was beyond belief.

 _Maybe there's more to that boy than the eye can see_ , Snape mused. He had meant it when he said he was going to examine Potter. Now he knew the truth, he felt an unnatural urge to take care of this boy. It was irrational and he didn't understand it completely and that unnerved him, but a part of him thought it was because Potter looked so much like him. He knew the abuse Potter had suffered, because he had suffered it too.

He instinctively knew the boy hid things from others – especially his feelings – and he wanted to help the boy, so he wouldn't suffer alone. Like Snape had done.

 _Hm, if I'm going to help him, maybe I should start calling him by his first name_ , Snape thought, slightly amused.

His amusement disappeared when he noticed the sudden dulled green eyes, completely devoid from any emotions and he tensed.

He knew what had happened. Potter – no, _Harry_ was shutting himself down. Whatever he was feeling, he didn't like it and was detaching himself from his emotions. The easiness with how it happened told Snape that Harry had had many practice with it.

 _This wasn't good_ , he realized, _I definitely need to talk with him._

"Lupin, I think you need to repeat the question. I don't think he heard it," Snape said in his smooth voice.

Remus threw a quick glance at him, but repeated his question. "Harry, what was the cause for this sudden change?"

The dark haired boy looked up. "Hm? Does it…"

"Matter? Yes, it matters, because this is an unexpected reaction from you and we want to know why your opinion about your hero changed," Snape answered and he looked stern.

Harry looked annoyed. "I never looked at him as a hero! And I changed my opinion, because I had the time to think." He smiled wryly. "After all, I had enough time to think these last past weeks."

"Well, we're glad to know that you changed your opinion. It saves us a lot of effort to convince you the Headmaster can't be trusted. I was already dreading that particular conversation," Lucius finally spoke.

The other men nodded grimly – even Remus and Sirius!

Harry was confused. They agreed with him? They weren't angry at him? How was that possible? What had he missed?

"Wait, so you're not angry at me?" Harry asked uncertainly and unconsciously began to fidget with his sleeves.

Draco was confused. Why would Harry think the men were angry with him? He had just said what everyone in this group thought. He'd just said the truth. And why did he look so afraid when he looked at Sirius and Remus? Although he had to admit that one: he was impressed by Harry's rant – he hadn't known the boy could get so angry – and two: Harry looked absolutely cute while fidgeting.

"Angry? Why would we be angry, cub?" Remus asked surprised. Besides the fact he could never be angry at his cub, Harry had just said the truth. It saddened him that Harry had to come to these conclusions – one being that Albus could not be trusted – but he was glad he didn't need to convince Harry of the truth. That boy could be really stubborn if he wanted to.

"Because I just insulted the leader of the Order and accused him of being a liar who likes to meddle and questioned his motives?" Harry's answer came out as a question.

"No, of course not! We're glad you already know the truth. We were just shocked because of your rant," Remus chuckled and his amber colored eyes warmed more. "It has to be said, you have inherited Lily's temper. Although I think yours is far more worse."

Harry blushed and lowered his eyes. "Yeah, sorry about that. I just needed an outlet, I guess."

"Understandable, but you don't have to apologize," Lucius said calmly.

The atmosphere in the group relaxed, though Snape continued to watch Harry.

"Did you really destroyed Dumbledore's office?" Draco asked suddenly.

Harry blushed again and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I was angry and he wouldn't let me go and I got frustrated, so…" He shrugged helplessly. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

Draco laughed. "This is priceless! I wish I had seen that!"

Harry laughed too and Draco felt pride; he had made Harry laugh. _He really should laugh more often: he has a beautiful laugh_ , Draco thought.

"But if you're not angry, then why hasn't Sirius said anything yet?" Harry asked nervously with a glance at Sirius.

At the mention of his name, Sirius' head shot up and he looked at Harry with glittering eyes that made Harry gulp.

"Where the fuck did you learn such language? Lily would have an heart-attack if she had heard you!" Sirius yelled.

Harry stared at him dumbfounded. "Eh…"

Sirius crossed his arms and tapped his foot. "Well? I'm waiting."

Harry looked helplessly around, searching for help. He found none. Draco was laughing; Lucius was smiling; Remus was trying to hide his amusement, but was soon laughing too and amusement was shining in Snape's dark eyes which surprised and crept Harry out at the same time.

"Eh, I – I learned if from you?" Harry answered uncertainly. He hadn't lied: his godfather had quite a vocabulary when he was annoyed or angry.

Whatever he was expecting, clearly this answer wasn't it. Sirius blinked surprised and unfolded his arms. "Heh? From me?" he asked.

Harry nodded, not knowing what he had to say.

"But how? When…?" Sirius was definitely at a loss with his words.

"Your vocabulary is, as always, utterly astounding," Snape drawled sarcastically.

"Greasy git. Do me a favor and go wash your hair. With the amount of oil in your hair, you can drive a motor," Sirius retorted back, but the insult lacked heat and he looked distracted.

"At least I'm useful. That's not something that can be said from everyone," Snape sneered, not in the least taken back by the insult.

"O, shut your mouth, Snivellus. Harry, when did you heard me swear?" Sirius asked confused.

Harry blinked and rolled his eyes. Did Sirius really ask that question?

"When you met Pettigrew again; when you heard of the Tournament, when you heard what Voldemort did to come back; when I was attacked by Dementors; when you received instructions from Dumbledore and the worst swears must have been when we were at the Ministry, a few weeks ago. So you see, my mother will be more mad at you, than at me," he smirked triumphantly.

"And let us not forget your speech in Dumbledore's office, just an hour ago," Remus added helpfully.

Sirius grinned sheepishly. "Hm, I do seem to swear a lot, don't I? But," he pointed his finger at Harry, "that doesn't mean you have to use those words."

"But they're so much more effective when I'm angry," Harry complained.

"Let's make a rule: if you're in a dangerous, life-threatening situation, then you may use those words. Otherwise not," Sirius suggested and he ranked a hand through his hair.

Harry answered amused, "Theoretically speaking is my life daily in danger. Does that rule still apply?"

"The boy is good," Lucius muttered to Snape and Snape snorted silently.

"Let me rephrase this rule: when you're around Voldemort and if you're surrounded by Death Eaters – hopefully that will not happen much – and you get hurt or frustrated. Do we have a deal?" Sirius asked smiling.

"We have a deal," his godson nodded.

Lucius clapped his hands together. "Excellent! Now that is arranged, we can make our way to the Ministry."

"Wait! One other thing. Harry, where did you learn about the bloodwards?" Sirius asked carefully.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I can read. I'll explain the rest when we're at Grimmauld place, okay?"

Sirius and Remus nodded reluctantly. Sirius held out his arm and Harry grabbed it firmly, not knowing what to expect. One second later, Harry felt as if his body was squeezed through a tiny hole and then the awful feeling stopped and they stood before a telephone box.

Harry felt like his intestines were left behind at Privet Drive – not a pleasant feeling.

Sirius held his arm until he was steady. "Are you okay, kiddo? I know this isn't a pleasant experience."

Harry shook his head slowly. "I'm fine. I'd rather like to go on a broom instead, though. At least on a broom, I haven't got the feeling I left some body parts behind."

"You get used to it," Draco said amused.

"Gee, thanks, that's a relief," Harry replied sarcastically.

Sirius ruffled his hair. "Don't be so sarcastic, Harry. That's Snivellus' job."

Snape glared. "If you don't watch out, Black, it might be possible that your food will taste strange tonight."

"O, please, be a little more creative with your threats, Snivellus. You've threatened me with that before."

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't do it," Snape answered in a deathly smooth voice.

Just then, both Harry and Remus heard someone approaching in the street next to where they stood.

"Sirius, change immediately into Padfoot!" Harry whispered urgently.

Sirius broke the fight with Snape off and looked confused. "What? Why?"

"Sirius, do it! Now!" Remus whispered urgently as well.

Sirius looked bewildered, but turned into his dog form, a few seconds before the person came into view.

It was a man, a few years older than Lucius. There were streaks of grey in his hair and he had bushy eyebrows; yellowish eyes looked at the group behind a pair of wire-rimmed glasses. Harry noticed he walked with a slight limp.

He nodded at Lucius and studied the other men, before his gaze fell on Harry.

"Good afternoon, Mister Scrimgeour," Lucius smiled politely.

 _Scrimgeour?_ , Harry thought. _Now from where do I know this name?_

Scrimgeour nodded. "Mister Malfoy, gentlemen, good afternoon." He still stared at Harry. "I don't think we've met before."

"Harry, this is Rufus Scrimgeour, the new Minister of Magic. Mister Scrimgeour, this is, of course, Harry Potter," Lucius introduced them.

 _Ah, so that's why I recognized him_ , Harry thought. The picture of Scrimgeour had been all over the front page of the Daily Profit, announcing him as the new Minister. Fudge had to retire because of his mistakes in his carrier; not the mention the huge mistake of not letting the public know Voldemort was back.

Harry shook Scrimgeour's hand – it felt coarse. "It's nice to meet you, sir."

"It's nice to finally meet you too, Mister Potter," Scrimgeour said and his gaze fell on Harry's scar.

Harry felt uncomfortable and stroked down the hair on his forehead. He didn't like it when people stared at him.

He was startled when he felt something cold and wet stroking his hand. He looked down and saw Padfoot pushing his nose in his hand. Unconsciously he smiled and petted Padfoot's head.

Scrimgeour followed his eyes to the dog and raised an eyebrow. "And who might this dog be?"

Before anyone could answer, Harry replied, "His name is Snuffles. It's my dog, sir."

"Really? What an odd name," Scrimgeour mused.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "He likes to snuffle around. That's why I named his Snuffles. He's a very curious dog." From the corner of his eye, he could see Remus suppressing a smile.

"The Ministry wasn't aware you had a dog, Mister Potter." Scrimgeour now raised both his eyebrows.

"Yes, well, I don't see why I should let everybody know I have a dog. I like my privacy," Harry smiled strained. He didn't like the way the Minister was looking at Padfoot.

"Of course, everybody likes his privacy. I'm curious, though. Do you keep this dog for a special reason? Like protection maybe?" Scrimgeour asked nonchalantly.

"No, I just like dogs. However, I must say, Snuffles is good at protecting me. He has a vicious bite, you see. I don't envy the person who angers my dog," Harry smirked viciously.

"I can understand why." Scrimgeour eyed the dog's height and the sharp, white teeth when Snuffles bared his teeth. "From what I heard and see now, you apparently like the company of dangerous things, Mister Potter."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry asked sharply.

Scrimgeour smiled. "Oh, there are many examples, Potter. Such as your many adventures at school and in the summer; your dog and if I'm not mistaken you once have defended a werewolf who had no right to be a teacher."

Remus flinched.

"Excuse me? That person had every right to be a teacher! So what if he had a little problem? Nobody was ever in danger! In fact, he was the best Defence against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had!" Harry hissed. "If it wasn't for him, I would be dead, because the Ministry found it necessary to station a hundred Dementors at Hogwarts! Since he's gone, we've never had a decent teacher again. I'm sure you remember Umbridge, minister?" he sneered. "Not exactly the brightest teacher. I mean, what idiot would call a pack of angry centaurs filthy half-bloods?"

"Harry…" Lucius said, in a warning tone.

Scrimgeour held his hand up. "No, Mister Malfoy, let him. So you think you would make better decisions than the Ministry, Potter?"

Harry sighed impatiently. "I've never said that. I merely said that the Ministry has made some big mistakes that could have cost people's lives."

"But you don't deny that you apparently seek danger," Scrimgeour smiled.

"That's a matter of opinion, sir. Some things that are considered danger, I classify that as safe," Harry answered grimly.

"You're a very interesting boy, Potter. Well, sadly, I have to go. I have some people to meet. Have a good day, gentlemen." Scrimgeour nodded, walked further and disappeared round a corner.

"Arrogant git," Harry mumbled with a dark look in his eyes.

"Harry…" Remus sighed, but was secretly pleased that Harry had defended him. It was ridiculous that a teenager had to defend an adult, he knew that, but he couldn't help the warm feeling spreading through his body that let him know he was cared for.

"What? It's true! You've heard him; only people without problems are worthy of a job. I'm sick of that! Who cares if you're not completely human, as long as you're no danger to other people?" Harry crossed his arms.

"Harry, lycanthropy isn't exactly a little problem," Remus smiled sadly.

"To me it is. I've known you for almost four years, Remus, I think I would know by now if you're really dangerous. You've just got a – a little problem," Harry said, waving his hand impatiently.

"I nearly ripped you to pieces in your third year, Harry," Remus replied softly, still haunted by that memory. He had nearly killed his best friend's son, because he was so stupid to put him in danger.

Harry snorted. "And they say I've a guilt complex. Gee, wonder where I got that from," he mumbled under his breath. Then he said louder, "Nearly. But you didn't. It wasn't your fault, Remus."

"But…" Remus started.

"Don't you dare to finish that sentence, Remus John Lupin! After all those years, I know perfectly well who's a danger to me or other people and you're not on the list. If you continue to be so pessimistic, I will make sure you regret that pessimism," Harry threatened.

"And how are you going to do that?" Remus asked amused. "You should know not to threaten a Marauder, cub."

Harry smiled wolfish. "Moony, Moony, you should know better than to underestimate the son and godson of the Marauders." The gleam in his eyes wasn't angelic to say the least.

 _Marauders, what is that?_ , Draco thought and made a mental note to ask Harry about that later.

Remus gulped and felt slightly afraid. Harry had the same gleam in his eyes like James had had whenever he came up with something truly devilish. "Eh, what do you mean?"

The wolfish grin made place for a sweet angelic smile, complete with innocent wide eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Harry." Remus began to panic.

"Remus," Harry grinned.

"I'm doomed, aren't I?" Remus groaned.

"That's a matter of opinion," Harry replied smiling.

"You have always a way to make you popular by the Ministry, don't you Harry?" Draco grinned.

"Absolutely. I always want to be popular by the Ministry. Who knows, maybe it could help me when I get in trouble. God knows, I get in trouble easily," Harry replied dryly. "That reminds me; has Dumbledore found a new candidate for DADA, professor Snape?"

Snape looked for a moment surprised, but then looked indifferent. "As far as I know, no. Why?" He looked suspicious. "What are you planning, Potter?"

"Why do you think I'm planning something, sir?" Harry asked innocently. "That said, how could I possibly be planning something that includes the DADA post? Don't you trust me?"

"Well…"

"Never mind," Harry said hastily. "I don't want to know."

"Anyway, we must go on. We have someone to free," Lucius said smiling.

Padfoot barked and wagged his tail.

"Yes, Snuffles gets impatient," Harry smiled.

"Snuffles?" Draco asked curiously.

"Weird story. I tell you later," Harry answered.

Draco nodded and again made a mental note to remember Harry to tell this story.

Harry looked at the telephone box that would transport them into the Ministry. "How are we going to the Ministry? That cell is too small to fit us all."

"We enlarge it, of course," Lucius answered calmly.

"Of course," Harry mumbled.

Lucius took out his wand, tapped on the telephone box and mumbled, "Dilatate."

They all stepped into the enlarged cell and a woman's voice said, "Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business."

"Lucius Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, Severus Snape, Remus Lupin and Harry Potter. We've come for a trial," Lucius answered.

Harry had the uneasy feeling of a double déjà-vu and he wondered why there had been always a negative cause for a visit to the Ministry.

"Thank you. Visitors, please take the badges and attach it to the front of your robes," the woman said coolly.

There was a click and a rattle and Harry picked up the silver badge. 'Harry Potter, Trial' was written on the badge.

The woman spoke again. "Visitors to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wand for registration at the security desk, which is located at the far end of the Atrium."

The floor shuddered and then they were sinking slowly into the ground.

Harry looked at his badge. "I'm going to begin a collection with these badges. This is the third one already."

Remus looked puzzled. "The third one? You have one from your hearing and now, where did you get the third one?"

Harry put the badge in his pocket. "A few weeks ago. Then it stated 'Rescue Mission'."

"You haven't had exactly good experiences with the Ministry, have you Harry?" Lucius mused.

"Nope, not really," Harry replied shortly.

Lucius wanted to say something, but at that moment, they stopped moving and as expected, the woman's voice said, "The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant day." The door sprang open and they all stepped out of it. They joined the crowd and walked past the fountain, which was repaired again after the incident in June. Some of the people stared at the group and whispered. Harry, who was beginning to feel uncomfortable, held onto Padfoot's neck.

They walked past Eric, the security wizard and into the lift. Snape pushed a button and the lift began to move, while a woman's voice was calling the names of the different departments.

When the voice called, "Department of Magical Law Enforcement.", the group stepped out of the lift.

"First, we will speak to Madam Bones. She will be prepared to listen to us," Lucius said and the group followed him down the hall.

They stopped before a door with the name 'Amelia Bones' written on it.

"Ready?" Lucius asked and when they nodded, he knocked on the door.

Draco, who stood next to Harry, saw that Harry went pale and decided to calm his new friend.

"Hey, calm down. Everything will be all right, you'll see. There's no way that your godfather will be sent to prison again. Father won't let them," he whispered in Harry's ear.

Harry shivered a bit when he felt the hot breath in his ear and smiled grateful. "Thanks."

"No problem," Draco smiled back.

The door went open and Madam Bones stood in the opening.

"Mister Malfoy, good afternoon. What can I do for…" she broke off the sentence when she saw Harry. She furrowed her eyebrows and said, "Mister Potter, please don't tell me you've gotten another hearing."

Harry answered scandalized, while the other men chuckled. "Of course not! I haven't broken any rules this summer."

Madam Bones sighed relieved. "Oh, good. I thought for a moment… Well, that doesn't matter. Come in and tell me the reason for your visit."

The door closed behind the group and Madam Bones conjured enough seats for them to sit. Harry sat between Remus and Draco. Next to Draco sat Lucius and next to him Snape. Padfoot sat before Harry. Madam Bones sat behind her desk.

"Good, who's going to tell me the reason of your visit?" Madam Bones asked.

"I will," Lucius replied. "A week ago, I was looking at some old cases, when I found the one of Sirius Black. It didn't escape my notice that he hadn't had a real trial and I wondered if we could remedy that."

"But he had already been found guilty. There was enough evidence to accuse him of the Potter's betrayal and Pettigrew's murder and those thirteen Muggles," Madam Bones said with a frown. "Besides he's still on the run. How would you give him a trial? And then there's the fact that all the witnesses are dead. I'm sorry, but I can't help you."

"You have witnesses. I know people who can prove Black is innocent," Lucius said calmly.

"Who then?" she asked curiously.

Before Lucius could reply, Harry answered, "Remus Lupin, Albus Dumbledore, Peter Pettigrew, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, the Malfoys and I. Those are the most important ones."

Bones looked at him. "Peter Pettigrew is dead, Mister Potter. Surely you know that. And why would you defend Mister Black?"

"Pettigrew isn't dead. I saw him with my own eyes in my third and fourth year. He's the Death Eater who has helped Voldemort resurrect again. I have memories – and a scar – to prove this. And as for your question: I don't like it when my family is accused of something that they would never do. I know from experience how awful and frustrating that is," Harry answered stiffly. "I want to be able to spend time with my family without the worry that they could be arrested any moment for a crime they didn't commit.

Madam Bones looked puzzled. "What do you mean, Pettigrew isn't dead? Hang on, family? Mister Black isn't family of yours, Mister Potter."

Padfoot growled and Harry answered: "Pettigrew is alive, Madam Bones. And Sirius is most certainly my family, along with Remus Lupin. He was a friend of my parents and he's my godfather. Those facts are enough to make him family." He dared her with his eyes to object and ignored the stares of the other men in the room when he made that confession.

Madam Bones sighed and rubbed her temples. "So, according to you, Pettigrew is still alive and Black is innocent. How do you explain the accusation then? Albus himself confessed that Black was the Secretkeeper of the Potters."

"We can explain the misunderstanding when Sirius is given a trial," Harry said stubbornly. "You are going to give him a fair trial where he can defend himself, aren't you?" His green eyes narrowed dangerously.

 _That boy is something else_ , Lucius mused silently. _Yes, he's a very interesting boy._

"Well, it's unusual, but I think it's fair, considering the fact that he hadn't had any and if you have evidence, then I will give him one. But, he's on the run. How are you going to solve that?" Bones asked.

Harry smiled shark – like. "That's not a problem, Madam Bones. I know where Sirius is. But before I'll tell you, you have to give me your word that Sirius will get a fair trial and that he won't be immediately send to Azkaban."

"Very well, I'll give you my word, Mister Potter," she said calmly.

Harry looked at Remus and when he nodded, he bowed to the dog before him and said softly, "Time to turn back, Padfoot."

Immediately, the dog disappeared and Sirius appeared again.

Madam Bones looked baffled and her mouth hung open.

Sirius grinned. "Hello Amelia. Good to see you again."

"Sirius Black! How in the world… Where did you… You're absolutely unbelievable!" she cried out.

"Thank you! I hear that a lot," Sirius said grinning.

Harry rolled his eyes and stood up. "Madam Bones? Can you manage to give him a trial now? It's rather urgent."

"Yes, yes, of course. I'll let everyone know where they must go to. Who will be the witnesses for the defence?" Bones asked while she scribbled something on various papers. With a quick spell, she sent them flying out the door.

"Remus and I," Harry answered. He looked at Remus. "If that's okay with you, of course."

"I don't have a problem with that," Remus smiled.

Sirius closed them both in his arms and hugged them. "My best friend and my godson are going to defend me. I'm touched," he sniffled.

"Sirius, please let us go. You're suffocating us," Remus said in a strained voice.

"Oh, all right."

Both Remus and Harry sighed in relief and rubbed over their ribs.

"Don't you have to inform Albus too? He could be an enormous help too," Madam Bones suggested.

"No. he doesn't have to be here. I mean, at the moment he's very busy and besides he doesn't know the whole story. He wasn't there when we saw Pettigrew, so he doesn't have the most important memories," Harry explained with a blank face.

"Well, if you're sure you're ready, follow me then." Madam Bones led the way to the room where the trial would be held. Already, there were many wizards and witches present, who held their breaths for a moment when they saw Sirius and then began to chat.

Harry rolled his eyes when he heard some of the comments.

"Oh, dear lord, it is Sirius Black!"

"Oh my, even now he looks handsome."

"Sweet Merlin, did you hear this? Harry Potter will defend Sirius Black! Does this mean that Black is truly innocent?"

"Well, there's a big chance he is. I mean, Harry Potter wouldn't defend someone who's truly guilty."

"Oh yes, you're right!"

Harry smirked and tapped Sirius' shoulder. "They already think you are innocent, because I'm going to defend you."

Sirius grinned. "Seriously?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, I think this is one of the perks of having a famous godson. Who knew my fame would get someone out of prison?" he grinned.

"Don't get cocky, you brat," Sirius laughed and ruffled through the unruly hair.

"Hey! Stop that!" Harry complained and tried to flatten his hair back. "I'll still have to defend you and I like to look presentable."

"You could never look presentable with that hair of yours," Draco teased.

"Why, thank you, Draco. I feel so much better now," Harry said dryly.

"It's nothing," Draco grinned.

"All right; everyone, bar Potter, Lupin and Black, go to the seats on the right. You can wait there and watch the trial. You three, follow me." Madam Bones led the three men to the middle of the room. "You, Mister Black, go sit in the chair. Mister Potter and Mister Lupin, you go and sit on the bench on your left. When you are called, you will go to the chair in the front to answer the questions. Understood?" she asked sternly.

Remus nodded and Harry mumbled, "Yes, ma'am." They went to sit on the bench. Remus looked nervous while Harry looked calm.

"Calm down, Remus, it wouldn't do any good to Sirius if you start hyperventilating," Harry said chuckling.

"How could you be so calm? If it doesn't work, Sirius will be send to Azkaban again and he won't survive it for a second time!" Remus replied sharply.

"Again, calm down. He won't go to Azkaban. We know the truth and soon the others too. Besides," here Harry grinned cheekily, "they won't dare to question me, the famous Harry Potter."

Remus shook his head, but smiled. "You cheeky brat. Don't you have any shame?"

"That disappeared when I began to spend time with Sirius," Harry replied dryly.

Remus opened his mouth, thought about something, and shut it again. "Yes, Sirius has that effect."

Harry wanted to answer, but he was interrupted by Madam Bones' voice who declared the case open. A man with blond hair walked to Sirius and dropped a few drops of a clear liquid into his mouth. Harry realized that this liquid was probably Veritaserum, but just to be safe he had his wand in hand – reach.

Madam Bones began with the questioning.

"What's your name?"

"Sirius Orion Black."

"How old are you?"

"Thirty – seven."

A man nodded – apparently the Veritaserum worked.

"Good, were you the Secretkeeper of the Potters?" Bones continued.

"No, I wasn't. James and I decided that I was the most obvious choice and we thought Voldemort would go after me, so I switched roles with Peter Pettigrew," Sirius answered with the blank face everyone got when subjected to Veritaserum.

"Tell us what happened on October thirty – one of 1981."

"I went to check on Pettigrew, because I had a bad feeling. When I arrived at the house, Pettigrew wasn't there. There weren't any signs of a struggle; I panicked and flew on my motorcycle to the house of the Potters. I arrived there, and saw the house in ruins and I – I saw James and Lily on the floor, dead. When I didn't see Harry, I feared the worst, but then I heard crying and I saw Harry laying in his crib. I picked him up and wanted to take him to Remus."

"Why to Remus? You're his godfather, why didn't you take care of him?" a man asked.

"I wanted to take care of him – I still do – but I wanted to take care of Pettigrew first, so I wanted to leave Harry with Remus. I knew Remus would take good care of Harry."

"So, you wanted to kill Pettigrew."

"Yes."

"Did you kill him?"

"No."

"What happened when you had cornered Pettigrew?"

"I wanted to hurt him, to kill him because it's his fault James and Lily died, but then I thought that killing him wasn't sufficient enough. I realized sending him to Azkaban would be torture enough, so I wanted to overpower him. But before I could do something, he shouted loudly that I had killed James and Lily, chopped his finger off, blasted the street up and turned into a rat and fled into the sewers."

"Wait, into a rat? How could he have turned into a rat?" Madam Bones asked bewildered.

Harry groaned – this wouldn't go well.

"He's an Animagus. His form's a rat."

"When did he became an Animagus?"

"In school."

"Why isn't he registered?"

"How should I know?"

"Hm. Anyway, back to that night. What happened after you heard Harry Potter crying?" Madam Bones asked.

Harry mumbled, "Why do I suddenly feel embarrassed?"

Remus chuckled quietly, but didn't say anything.

"I picked him up and wanted to fly with him to Remus, but Hagrid intercepted me. Dumbledore had ordered him to bring Harry to him. At first, I argued and said I was going to raise Harry, but Hagrid didn't listen. At the end, I gave Harry to him and lent him my motor, so he could safely transport Harry to Dumbledore."

"How did you escape Azkaban?"

 _Oh, bloody hell_ , Harry thought. _How are we going to explain this?_

"I turned into my dog form and escaped through the bars. Dementors can't feel animals very well, so they didn't noticed it when I turned into a dog," Sirius answered in a monotone voice.

"So, you too are an Animagus," Madam Bones said surprised.

"Yes."

"And you're not registered."

"No."

"Why not?"

Sirius shrugged. "Didn't have the time to do it. There was a war raging and when Voldemort wants to kill your best friend and their son, you forget the little things like registering yourself."

"Hmm. Good, Mister Black, we want your memories of October thirty – one of 1981 and when you last saw Pettigrew." Bones nodded to a man, dressed in blue robes and the man walked to Sirius, grabbed his arm and led him to a chair in the right corner. There, they proceeded to collect the memories.

"We ask the first witness of defence, Remus Lupin," Madam Bones said.

Remus sighed, but after an encouraging nod from Harry, he stood up and walked to the chair. Instead of Veritaserum, he had to swear with his wand – hand on a book that he would tell the truth. After he had said that, the book went blue for a moment and then went back to normal.

"You are Remus John Lupin, correct?" Madam Bones began with her questions.

"Yes."

"How old are you?"

"Thirty – seven."

"Where did you meet Sirius Black?"

"In our first year on Hogwarts."

"You were friends with him, since then?"

"Yes, along with James Potter and Peter Pettigrew."

"Were you aware that he was an Animagus?"

Remus gulped, but nodded. "Yes, I was aware."

"Do you know why he and Pettigrew became Animagi?"

Remus sighed, but reluctantly answered, "Yes. Sirius, James and Pettigrew became Animagi, so they could help me."

"James Potter was also an Animagus?"

"Yes."

"Huh, very well. Why did they have to become Animagi in order to help you?"

"I'm a werewolf. They kept me company, so I wouldn't become crazy."

Madam Bones blinked and looked surprised. "Well, this is unexpected. Did Mister Black spoke the truth when he said that Pettigrew is still alive?" she continued her questions.

"Yes, I saw Pettigrew myself, two years ago."

"Very well. Mister Lupin, please follow Mister Greenriver to the other room and leave your memories in the Pensive."

Remus nodded and followed the appointed man to a room behind the desk where Madam Bones was sitting.

"We call the last defence, Harry Potter."

An excited murmur rose up behind Madam Bones and some wizards and witches (mostly witches) leaned forward to take a good look at him when he went to sit on the chair.

 _You would think they never saw a teenager before_ , Harry thought sarcastically. He recognized some people from his own hearing and had a difficult time to hide his disgust.

 _A year ago, they couldn't care less about what happened to me. To them I was an arrogant crazy boy and now they're all eager to see me_ , Harry thought disgusted and irritated.

Just like Remus, he had to swear he would tell the truth.

"You are Harry James Potter, correct?"

Harry nodded. "Yes."

"How old are you?"

Harry refrained from rolling his eyes. "Fifteen."

"What is your relationship with Mister Black?"

"He's my godfather."

"When did you meet him again?"

"Again?" Harry asked confused.

"After his stay in Azkaban," Madam Bones clarified.

"Oh. In my third year."

"Were you aware of the fact that he was accused of betrayal and murder?"

Harry's eyes darkened slightly. "Yes."

"Then why did you go after him?" a woman, dressed in dark green, asked confused.

Now Harry couldn't restrain himself and he rolled his eyes. "I didn't go after him. He dragged a friend of mine under a tree to the Shrieking Shack and I went to get my friend back."

"Did you believe Mister Black was a murderer?"

"Yes." Harry said without hesitance.

In the left corner Sirius, who was again sober because the Veritaserum had disappeared in his bloodstream, flinched. To hear his godson so bluntly say that he had believed Sirius was a murderer, was – well, it hurt.

"If you believe he's a murderer, then why are you acting as his defence?"

Harry's eyes flashed. "Because I know he's innocent. I don't believe he's a murderer now."

"How do you know that?"

"Because he told me the truth and I saw Pettigrew. He was the former pet rat of my friend. That's why Sirius wanted to go to Hogwarts."

"But Pettigrew escaped," Madam Bones said. "How?"

"It was the full moon and Remus turned into a werewolf. Sirius turned into his dog form to make sure he could direct Remus' attention to himself. Pettigrew saw his chance and ran away in his rat form. In my fourth year, I saw him back on a graveyard. He was the one who helped with the resurrection of Voldemort."

Various wizards and witches gasped and flinched when they heard the name.

"Did you know that Mister Lupin was a werewolf in your third year?" a woman in the back suddenly asked.

 _Is this relevant?_ , Harry thought, but answered, "Yes."

"Don't you have a problem with that?" the same woman asked again, slightly put out with Harry's answer.

"No, why should I?" Harry asked and tensed.

"Because he's a werewolf! He's a Dark and dangerous specie! Surely, you know that!" the woman asked shocked.

"That's bullshit! First of all, he's a human, not a specie! Second of all, he's not Dark! And last of all, he isn't dangerous! For the love of… Remus is as dangerous as me, so if you're going to imply I'm dangerous…" Harry didn't finish that sentence, but it had effect.

The woman paled and stuttered an apology.

Harry pressed his lips in a thin line. "Are there any more questions?"

Madam Bones shook her head. "No, the questions are over. You can leave your memories of your third and fourth year with Mister Greenriver. You can wait with Mister Lupin in that room, while we will further debate."

Harry nodded and stood up. He followed Mister Greenriver to the mentioned room and smiled encouragingly at his godfather and Sirius smiled weakly back.

The door behind him closed. He was in a small room. It was just big enough for a table and four chairs and a small round table on which a Pensive stood.

"Do you know how a Pensive works?" Greenriver asked and his brown eyes glanced for a moment at Harry's scar.

"Yes," Harry nodded and took his wand. He brought up the memory of what had happened at the end of his third year, held his wand on his temple and took out the memory and dropped it in the Pensive. The same happened with the memory at the end of his fourth year.

Greenriver nodded and took the Pensive in his hands. Without a look back, he exited the room and left the two men behind.

"Well, let's sit down while we have to wait," Harry suggested.

They sat down in silence.

Harry was just studying the room when Remus broke the silence.

"You know, you didn't have to defend me," he muttered, refusing to look at Harry.

"Why wouldn't I?" Harry asked surprised.

"Because it could get you in trouble!" Remus answered and crossed his arms. He still couldn't believe Harry stood up for him. In a courtroom. This was just unbelievable.

"So?" Harry's voice broke his musings.

Remus blinked. "So?"

"Yes, so? I don't care if I get in trouble. What can they possibly do? It's not like I attacked them while defending you," Harry scoffed.

"No, but not many people stand up for a werewolf. I think some would like to know why their 'Chosen One' is defending a werewolf," Remus smiled wryly.

Harry looked annoyed. "You're a human being, Remus, not just a werewolf. I don't care if they want to know why I was defending you. It's their problem if they don't understand my reason." He scowled and crossed his arms.

Curiosity got the better hand of Remus and he asked, "What was your reason?"

Harry looked surprised. "Because you're family, of course."

Remus opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, closed it again and settled for blinking. He didn't know how to react and blushed, a little embarrassed. Trust Harry to say something so blunt, as if it was the most obvious fact.

Harry smiled sweetly at him and turned his head to the door when Greenriver appeared in the doorway.

"You may follow me," the man spoke with a neutral voice.

Harry and Remus stood up and followed Greenriver to the courtroom. He guided them to the bench where they had sat before.

"After watching the various memories, we have reached a decision," Madam Bones said.

Harry took a deep breath to calm down; this was it, now they would know if Sirius was finally a free man or if he still would be convicted. Next to him, he felt Remus tensing. After a moment of hesitating, he took Remus' hand and squeezed it gently. The older man looked at him startled, but smiled.

"All who think Sirius Black is guilty of betraying the Potters, raise your hand," Madam Bones said.

Only two raised their hands.

"All who think Sirius Black is guilty of murdering Peter Pettigrew, raise your hand."

Nobody raised his hand.

Harry's heart began to beat wildly. Could this mean that Sirius…

"All who think Sirius Black shouldn't be punished for being an unregistered Animagus, because he was locked up innocently for twelve years, raise your hand."

Almost everyone raised their hands, including Madam Bones.

"All who think Sirius Black should be declared free from all charges, raise your hand."

One for one, their hands shot up in the air. Sirius was dumbfounded; did this mean that he was… free?

"That settles it. Sirius Black, by the power of this court, I declare you free from all charges!" Madam Bones smiled. Sirius cried out from joy. "And, we hereby give you all your possessions back, your Auror license and we give you the custody of Harry James Potter!"

"Hell yes!" Sirius shouted and he jumped up. The room went from silent to loud chatter. The wizards and witches began to chatter and they disappeared one by one through the two doors.

Madam Bones smiled and gave Sirius an official looking document.

"Please, Black, don't let me regret my decision of giving custody to you. Don't mess it up!" she warned him;

Sirius looked insulted. "Of course not! How in the world would I mess it up?"

"Don't get me started," she sighed.

"Hey!"

She clapped his shoulder. "Good luck, Black and don't let me see you on this courtside ever again."

He grinned, his eyes lighting up. "You won't."

She smiled and walked away.

Sirius had just tucked the document away in his pocket, when he had suddenly his arms full with his godson. For a moment he stood there surprised, but then he smiled and he hugged back.

"I couldn't hold him back anymore," the voice of Remus sounded.

Sirius looked up at him and smiled. "Apparently. Now, why don't you come and give me a hug too?"

Remus shook his head, but hugged Sirius after Harry had let go.

"What was that document that Madam Bones gave you?" Harry asked curiously.

"That was the custody papers, pup. I have officially the custody over you now," Sirius explained and let Remus go.

Bright green eyes were shining at him now. "You have? That's fantastic! Does this mean I can come and live with you now?" Harry asked excitedly.

"Of course, I wouldn't have it another way," Sirius replied and again he had Harry in his arms. "Besides, it's time we teach you more about the Marauders. James will have my head if he knows his son doesn't know how to trick somebody." The three men laughed.

"Isn't this cute? The wolf, the mutt and the mini-mutt, all together. Dear God, I think I'm going to be sick," Snape sneered.

Harry looked up from the hug and saw Draco, Lucius and Snape standing next to him.

"Then it's a good thing you have potions with you, isn't it, sir?" Harry asked innocently.

"Why, you little…"

Lucius interrupted him hastily. "Well, now that Sirius is free, we can go on to Gringotts. We still have much to do. Come on." The six men left the room and continued to walk away. Outside the Ministry, they Apparated again. This time Harry knew what to expect – not that this made it easier.


	5. The Potters' will

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm, for the fifth chapter, warnings of an angry Harry, slight Dumbledore bashing, some stuff getting broken
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 5: The Potters' will**

The group Apparated outside the Leaky Cauldron. Again Sirius grabbed Harry's arm and held him steady.

"You're okay?" Draco asked amused.

"I'm all right," Harry muttered.

"Do you need a potion, Potter?" Snape asked, sneering.

"No, thank you, sir. I'm sure I'll survive," Harry replied quickly.

"What a pity. We don't want you to get sick."

Sirius opened his mouth to react, but Harry kicked his leg and he closed his mouth again.

"I think we have to move along, guys. We still have to visit Gringotts," Remus said, trying to stop an upcoming argument.

"I hate to admit it, but the wolf is right. Unlike some of us, I still have work to do," Snape said, distain clearly in his voice.

"What work are you talking about, Snivellus?" Sirius sneered.

"Besides brewing potions, creating lessons and searching for vital information about the Dark Lord, I have to examine your godson's health to see how bad it is," Snape answered and crossed his arms.

"Hey! I'm perfectly healthy! I don't need an examination!" Harry protested and glared at his professor.

"Of course you don't, Potter. You're only too small and too thin for your age." Snape rolled his eyes. _Teenagers, stubborn as hell_ , he thought.

"Look who's talking! It's not like you…" Remus clapped a hand for his mouth, effectively shutting him up.

"Let's move along, shall we?" Remus said hastily. He didn't want to be caught in a fight between Harry and Severus; they were sometimes as bad as James and Severus had been.

"Remus is right. We have wasted enough time by standing here," Lucius said, clearly understanding the urgency with which Remus was shoving Harry to the door. He now knew that Harry could hold his own in an argument with Severus and he really didn't want to know how such an argument would sound. It would not be pretty, he suspected.

They all followed Remus and Harry into the Leaky Cauldron. The moment the men walked in, the people in the pub went quiet.

Lucius sighed – he knew they were going to attract attention. Not only was Harry Potter in their group, but there was also the notorious Sirius Black with them.

"Before you all start to panic, let me explain this first, this is indeed Sirius Black, but he is innocent. We have just come back from his trial and there he was cleared from all charges. He's now a free man," Lucius said quickly.

At first, there was only quiet murmuring, but then a young woman with long brown hair stepped forward. She fiddled with her sleeves and looked around until she caught the eyes of Harry.

"Mister Potter, is this true? Is Black truly innocent?" she asked.

Harry's mouth fell open. Did this woman seriously ask for his opinion?

"Eh, kiddo? Could you please answer her question? Before this can turn ugly?" Sirius muttered nervously.

Harry jolted out of his stupor and answered, "Yes, he's innocent."

The woman nodded contentedly and stepped back to her place.

"Anyone else got any more questions?" Lucius asked, barely holding back from rolling his eyes. Only his pride as a Malfoy held him back.

Some people shook their heads.

"Unbelievable. There's no hope left in the world if the people are going to follow the opinion of a Potter," Snape muttered and scowled.

"And here I thought you would be more pleasant during the holidays, sir," Harry replied sarcastically.

"The day I'll be pleasant to you, is the day you can hang me up," Snape snarled.

"Let's hope that we don't have to wait too long for that day to come," Sirius said pleasantly.

"Sirius!" Remus whispered outraged, as to not attract attention of the rest of the people.

"I hope you'll die a slow and painful death, Black," Snape replied and scowled more darkly.

"You know, your threats aren't as inventive as they used to be, Snivellus. Losing your edge?" Sirius taunted.

"You're as always stuck in your childish mood. How the court could think you can take care of Potter is beyond me," Snape shot back.

"Sirius, let it go, please," Harry sighed when Sirius opened his mouth to reply.

"But Harry, I can't have Snivellus have the last word," Sirius whined.

"You don't have to." Harry leaned towards him and whispered in his ear, "We can get him back later."

Sirius grinned. "I like how you think, Harry. It's so Maraudish."

"I don't think 'Maraudish' is a word, Padfoot," Remus smiled.

"It is! If I say it's a word, then it is a word," Sirius insisted.

"Moony, you know better by now than to argue with Padfoot," Harry laughed.

"Yes, I should know better," Remus sighed playfully and ducked out of Sirius' reach when he wanted to slap him.

"Are you three done with playing?" Snape grumbled.

"Maybe." Sirius stuck his tongue out.

"How very mature," Snape said icily.

"Thank you," Sirius replied happily and then grabbed the arms of Harry and Remus. "Come on, guys, let's go. We still have to go to Gringotts."

Lucius shook his head amused, but followed the three men to the wall where they had to go through in order to go to Diagon Ally.

Remus tapped on the stones with his wand and the wall disappeared, leaving an opening behind.

The wall closed again behind them and they sat a quick pace to the bank. All around them they saw posters of wanted Death Eaters – apparently the Ministry worked fast, because there was also a poster of Wormtail. There were also big posters with the photo of Sirius with the words 'Free man, innocent!'. Underneath the photo the Ministry explained what had happened in the trial.

_Well, now I don't have to worry that Sirius will get arrested_ , Harry thought.

People stood still to stare at them and they whispered furiously to each other.

Harry couldn't clearly see their face expressions, because the July sun blinded him, but he guessed they were shocked, surprised and probably gob smacked too.

"Damn sun; damn heat; damn Black; damn Potter," Snape muttered under his breath.

Lucius elbowed him in his side. Apparently he had heard Snape.

"What?" Snape hissed.

"Behave," Lucius whispered back.

"Hmpf," Snape grumbled, but didn't say anything more.

Or he didn't notice or he didn't care, either way, but Sirius looked carefree and happy. He was whistling a weird tune and Harry smiled. He was glad that Sirius was finally free. And he was exceptionally happy that Sirius now had the custody of him. His dream of living with his godfather finally came true.

They all sighed in relief when they entered the always cool bank.

Lucius went to a goblin who sat on the left side. It appeared to be Griphook.

Griphook gazed at them all, but eventually looked at Harry. They nodded to each other in greeting.

"Hello, Harry Potter," Griphook said politely.

The other men were shocked; a goblin never greeted a wizard openly.

"Hello Griphook," Harry smiled. "How have you been?"

"All things considered, very good, thank you. And you?" He placed his glasses next to him on the table.

"Never been better," Harry smiled.

"That is good to hear." Griphook's gaze fell on Sirius. "Sirius Black, it's been a long time. Please refrain from sneaking around."

"I was thirteen!" Sirius protested, while Harry and Remus snickered.

"Now, with what can I help you?"

"We are here to hear the Potters' Will." Lucius answered, still recovering from the shock of hearing a polite chat between a wizard and a goblin.

"Ah yes, the Will. I was wondering when you would want to hear that," Griphook mused.

"Is it possible to hear it now?" Remus asked.

"Of course, but I must ask something. Harry Potter, do you mind if everyone hears the Will?" the goblin asked.

Harry looked at Draco, Lucius and Snape. Did he mind if these people heard the Will of his parents? He supposed not. His mind was still reeling of the fact that his parents had a will. Of course, he shouldn't have to be so surprised; after all, everyone had a Will. He supposed he hadn't expected this, because his parents had been so young when they had died. On the other hand, they had known there was a chance they wouldn't survive.

"They can hear it," Harry answered and shrugged his shoulders.

"All right. Gornuk will help you further." On cue, another goblin appeared. He looked rather old, with wrinkles and long grey hair.

"Harry Potter, you may follow me."

Gornuk led them to a golden door on their left with a strange pattern on it. He tapped five times on the door and it opened.

They were in a large room, completely made of stone. The only light came from a few torches and a big fireplace. There was a big wooden table with enough comfortable chairs to sit on. The walls were covered with various cabinets.

"Take a seat. I'll collect the Will," Gornuk said and walked to a cabinet where he began to search through different maps.

Harry picked out a chair in the middle and sat down. On his left was Remus and on his right Sirius. Next to Remus was Snape and Lucius. Draco sat next to Sirius.

"Ah. The Potters. I found it." Gornuk held a dark stone in his hands. He placed the stone before Harry on the table and tapped on it once. A white smoke appeared from the stone and suddenly the smoke formed the faces of Lily and James Potter.

Harry's breath caught when he saw his parents. He knew how they looked like from his photo book, but then they were small. The faces now were a lot bigger and clearer.

Sirius glanced at Harry, saw how hard this was for the boy and took his hand. He looked at Remus and nodded towards his godson. Remus nodded once and grabbed Harry's other hand to support him. Harry smiled weakly at them and looked at his parents again while taking calm deep breaths.

Draco had noticed the quick exchange and felt jealous. He was supposed to hold Harry's hand. He tried to banish his jealousy; he just had to be patient. They were friends now; that was a huge step already. Besides, he was sure Harry would fall for him eventually. He was a Malfoy after all and Malfoys always got what they wanted. For now, he would be content with Harry's friendship.

He focused his attention back on the faces in the smoke. So, these were Harry's parents. He had to admit Harry was the splitting image of his parents; although he looked more like his father. Draco was suddenly interested in what Harry would inherit.

"All right, we can begin, Lily."

Harry startled when he heard his father's voice. He had only heard James' voice in his head when the Dementors were nearby.

"Well, if you hear this, that means we're both dead," James continued. "That's a shame, but it can't be helped. Because we both refuse to believe that Harry is dead too, we will continue with this will. So, Harry, first of all, know that we love you and always will and that we didn't want to leave you."

Here Lily interrupted him. "And sweetie, don't blame yourself with what happened to us. Just live your life as happy as you can."

"But make Snape's life as miserable as possible," James quickly said. Then, "Ouch, Lily!"

"Behave, James! God, you're just as childish as when we were in school. When will you grow up?"

"Never! A true Marauder never grows up!" James cried out and he grinned. "I'll teach that philosophy to Harry when he's older."

"The hell you will! He's an innocent boy! Hogwarts doesn't need another Marauder!"

"Of course they do!"

The men in the room, except for Lucius and Snape, chuckled.

"Anyway, Harry, you'll get the Potter Estate in Scotland, the Manor in France and the vaults on mine and Lily's name – don't ask what's in there, just see for yourself. You're going to love it, I swear. Padfoot, you'll get one billion Galleons and the holiday house in Miami, and Moony, you'll get three billion Galleons – quit complaining, you deserve it! – and that little house on the edge of London. It's quite there and you won't be disturbed. Isn't that great!" James said enthusiastically. "Oh, and Harry, before I forget: you'll also get my Invisibility Cloak and the Marauder's Map. Use these things well, son, cough – sneaking around in Hogwarts – cough."

"I knew it!" Snape hissed under his breath. Harry gulped – shit, now Snape knew of the Cloak, it would be even harder to sneak around. He didn't think it a good idea anymore to let the others listen to this.

"Sweetie, don't listen too much to your father. I don't want you to get into too much trouble," Lily said, in a slightly disapproving voice. "Now, let's move on to the guardians, James."

"Oh yes, Padfoot and Moony, it's your task to look after and raise Harry. Teach him all he have to know to be a fantastic Marauder," James answered.

"But, if you two can't, I have two other people who I want to be a guardian," Lily suddenly said.

"You do?" James asked confused.

"Yes, I do. For God's sake, pay attention, James!" Lily huffed. Harry was distinctly reminded of Hermione. She often used that tone with him and Ron. "Now, as I was saying, the two other guardians are Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape."

"What!" James and Sirius yelled at the same time. Remus looked amused and a bit wary; Harry's mouth hung open in shock and Snape looked incredulous and confused. Lucius and Draco were simple snickering.

"What do you mean? Snivellus is one of Harry's guardians? How could you do that, Lily? I don't want my son to be bored or yelled to death!" James yelled.

"Oh, shut up, James! It's time you grow up! I know Severus and I know he'll be wonderful to our son!" Lily replied angrily.

"For the love of all that's holy, please, Padfoot or Moony, don't back out of this guardianship. If I check on you and I find out that my son is being raised by Snivellus, you two are going to pay!" James threatened.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Drama queen. Anyway, I want this to be known: under no circumstances, and I repeat under none, will Harry be raised by my sister and that awful husband of hers. I don't want Harry to be taken there. Normally, this won't be a problem, because Albus knows of this wish, but just to be on the safe side I'll say it here too. Now, I think we've said everything there is to say. Bye, sweetie, I love you, always will and we'll see each other again."

"I love you too, son. Make us proud and please, please, try to be a good flyer so you can get in Quidditch team – preferably that of Gryffindor – and beat the others. In other words, follow in my footsteps, but if you can't, well, we'll still love you. Bye Harry! And Moony, Padfoot: Marauders forever, guys!" Their faces disappeared in the smoke and the smoke returned to the stone.

"Well, this was interesting," Lucius said finally, in the quiet room. He stood up and turned to Gornuk. "Could you get the papers and the keys to the vaults, so that Harry can check everything?"

"Of course, I'll get them now," Gornuk answered and walked out of the room.

"Sirius, can you sign the custody papers?" Lucius then asked.

Sirius nodded. "Of course." Then he looked worried and concerned. "Kiddo, are you all right?"

Everybody looked at Harry. Harry was still staring at the stone, but he began to shake. Soon, his whole body shook and his face was as white as snow.

"Harry, cub, calm down. What's wrong?" Remus asked concerned.

"He knew. That asshole knew and he still sent me there to live!" Harry whispered and they all shivered when they felt the crackle of his magic in the air.

"Harry, please calm down," Sirius said urgently.

Without warning, the glass in the cabinets shattered and books went flying.

"I think now is a good time to calm him down!" Lucius yelled and ducked out of the way when several large thick books went flying to him.

Sirius crouched before Harry and took his small hands in his.

"Harry, Harry, pup, listen to me." Harry's big green eyes focused on his face. "You need to calm down, pup. I know that it is not fair what Albus did and he will pay for that, but you're now here. You don't have to go back. I'm going to sign the custody papers and then you're going to live with me and Remus. And in the summer, we'll go to the holiday house in Miami. How does that sound?"

All at once, the books fell down on the floor. Harry's head fell on Sirius' shoulder and he sighed. Sirius patted his back and he hugged him.

"There, there, feeling better?" he asked, in an attempt to make his godson laugh.

It worked. "Yeah," Harry sighed again. Then he looked up and saw the damaged room. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to destroy the room," he said, feeling guilty.

"No harm done," Remus said lightly. He looked around. "Well, at least we're not harmed."

"Remember me to never make you that pissed off," Draco muttered and wiped the dust of his clothes.

Harry chuckled, which then turned into a full blown laugh. Sirius and Remus looked at each other surprised; who could have known that Draco would be responsible for Harry's laugh?

"Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want. You're not the one who's covered in dust," Draco grumbled.

That only served for more laughter on Harry's side.

"Wait until you get dust on you. See if you're still laughing then," Draco muttered, but hid a smile when he heard Harry's laughter.

"I'm sorry, Draco, but you should have seen your face," Harry grinned.

"I know I'm handsome, but please, wait until we're alone," Draco teased with a wink. He smirked when Harry blushed and spluttered.

"I have the papers. Will you sign this now?" Gornuk asked when he walked back into the room. He noticed the state of the room and without blinking he repaired everything. Then he laid the papers on the table. "I have four papers that must be signed by Harry Potter, two for Sirius Black and two for Remus Lupin."

"Okay," Harry shrugged and signed the papers after reading it. That was the only thing he had learned from Vernon: never sign a paper without reading it first. Basically the papers stated that he had heard the Will and that he now owned everything in his parents' vaults.

Sirius whistled while he signed his two papers: the custody and his acceptance of the things he inherited. He couldn't wait until he had his godson back in his home. True, the house could do with a makeover, but that could wait. Besides, before they went home, he would take Harry shopping. His godson needed new clothes. Clothes that would actually fit. Hm, maybe he could do something about Harry's glasses too. Sirius shook his head. First the glasses, then the clothes.

Meanwhile Remus was staring at his two papers. He had already signed the paper with his acceptance of the inheritance – although he still wanted to refuse everything. No, the main problem now was the second paper. It was a custody paper. If he signed this, he would officially have the custody of Harry. The thing was, he wasn't sure if he should sign this. Not that he didn't want the custody! No, it was just weird. Sirius had already the custody – why had James also wanted him for custody? He was a werewolf for heaven's sake! He could hurt Harry! Besides, who said Harry wanted him as a guardian? He had a better bond with Sirius after all.

"Moony, what's the matter?" Sirius asked suddenly and stood next to him.

Remus bit on his lip and pointed at the paper. "This."

Sirius looked confused, but picked the paper up and read it. After a couple of minutes, he lowered the paper and stared at Remus.

"And? I don't see the problem. Besides the fact you haven't signed it yet, of course." Sirius frowned. "Why haven't you signed yet?"

"Isn't that obvious, Sirius?" Remus sighed.

"No, not really."

"Well, you have the custody already, so I don't see why I should sign too. Then is there also the fact that I'm a bloody werewolf and the fact that I don't know if Harry wants me as his guardian too," Remus answered stiffly, not comfortable with the conversation.

"That are all crappy shit reasons, Remus and you know it. Harry doesn't care that you're a werewolf and I'm sure he doesn't mind you being his guardian. Why would he? You're his uncle Remmy, remember? You and I are his only family, Remus. Don't take that away from his, just because you're too stupid to see your worth." Sirius' eyes flashed angrily, like all the other times they had this sort of conversation.

"You have a better bond with him, Sirius. Harry and I hardly know each other," Remus muttered, flinching under Sirius' glare.

"That's a pathetic reason, Remus! If you stop walking away, you can talk with Harry and you can have a bond with him too. He needs you too," Sirius whispered.

"For God's sake, stop bickering! You two look like an old married couple. Wolf, although I hate to admit it, the mutt is right. Potter needs you too. He doesn't care that you're a stupid werewolf. You should see him when somebody dares to insult one of you two; if his stupid friends didn't restrain him, he would likely have done much damage to the unfortunate ones. Five students were sent to the hospital with serious damage, just because they had insulted you two. And that was just a few weeks ago. If his idiotic protectiveness doesn't convince you, then I don't think anything else can. Just sign the stupid paper, wolf and spare us your dramatic reasons for not doing it," Snape snapped suddenly and crossed his arms.

"What's in this for you?" Sirius asked suspiciously. "Since when do you care about Harry?"

"I don't care about Potter. I just don't want to see more students end up in the hospital, because of that protective Gryffindor. He's just like his father in that aspect: protecting his friends and getting away with it," Snape grumbled and scowled at them. "Well, what are you waiting for? Sign the stupid paper!"

Remus just smiled and signed the paper.

Gornuk snapped his fingers and the papers flew into his waiting hand. "Would you like to see your vaults now?" he asked then.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I like to, but only if we have the time."

"We still have some time," Lucius answered.

"I will lead you to them. Follow me."

Once again, the group followed the goblin to another door. Gornuk whistled and two carts appeared rather loudly.

Harry, Sirius and Remus sat with Gornuk in the first one and Draco, Lucius and Snape in the second one. Gornuk snapped his fingers and the carts began to ride. After the first few turns, Harry lost the count and he simply sat back to enjoy the ride. He knew the goblin knew the way and busied himself with fantasizing what could be in the vaults. Money probably, but what else too?

It didn't register at first, but suddenly Harry began to sweat.

"Eh, is it only me or is it here warm?" Harry asked and wiped the sweat of his forehead.

"No, it's definitely warm," Sirius puffed.

Gornuk turned around to face them and grinned evilly. "Now we will know if you are a true Potter, Harry Potter."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"Do you know what's on the Potters' crest, Harry Potter?" Gornuk asked, instead of answering.

"No," Harry answered hesitatingly.

"A lion who can breathe fire. There are not many lions out there in the wild and there is always one who defends the most important vaults of your family. If someone, who isn't a part of the family, dares to enter the vaults, the lion will rip him or her apart." Gornuk smiled with a strange gleam in his eyes.

"Eh, has the lion ever ripped someone apart?" Sirius asked nervously.

"Only two in the last three centuries," Gornuk answered nonchalantly.

The three men in the cart gulped at the mental image and tried to relax. They were Gryffindors after all, why would they be afraid of a lion who could breathe fire?

Suddenly, without any warning, they stopped. With trembling legs, they all got out of the carts and stood waiting for the goblin to lead them the way.

Harry was frightened to death (well almost) when a strong, hard voice said, **"Who is the one that seeks access to the vaults?"**

"Eh, do I have to name everyone here?" Harry asked uncertainly and scratched his hair.

"Harry, who are you talking to?" Remus asked confused.

"What do you mean 'who am I talking to'? Didn't you hear that voice?" Harry asked with wide eyes.

"What voice?" Draco asked bewildered.

"Well, that – that voice that just…" Harry trailed off when he received more confused looks. He groaned. "Not again. Please let this not be like second year."

"Second year? What happened in your second year?" Sirius asked alarmed.

Harry ignored him and instead looked at a grinning Gornuk.

"You know what I'm talking about, don't you?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

"Oh, I most certainly do. You have just heard the guardian of the vaults," Gornuk answered. "Because you're the only one with the Potters' blood, he questions you. You can better answer him. Lions like him aren't very patient."

"I'm Harry Potter and I wish to visit the vaults," Harry said uncertainly.

For a moment, it was quiet, but then Harry saw something moving around the corner. His eyes went wide when he saw the creature.

It could be best described as a lion. It had everything from a lion: the head, the body and the paws. There were slight differences however. His eyes were a fiery red and smoke was coming from his nose. At the end of his tail Harry could see flames. The flames were fiery red, bright yellow, icy blue and dark green. The lion was nine feet long and six feet tall. It was most certainly not a cute kitten.

The lion cocked his head and approached the group.

" **There is more than one of you. Who are the others?"** the lion asked.

"Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape." Harry replied, still in awe from the sight of the lion.

" **Do they wish to see the vaults?"** The lion stepped closer.

"Are you guys coming with me to the vaults?" Harry asked his companions.

"If that's okay with you," Lucius replied carefully.

"You heard them," Harry said, addressing the lion.

" **Are they trustworthy?"** the lion asked. He was now right in front of Harry and Harry had to look up in order to see the lion's face.

"So far they haven't killed me, so I believe they are trustworthy," Harry answered.

" **Your standards aren't very high, are they?"** the lion said and sounded for the first time amused.

Harry shrugged. "Maybe, but if you know my life then you know that this standard is high enough for me."

The lion was silent for a moment while he looked at Harry's companions.

Then he turned around. **"Follow me. But if your companions dare to steal something, I will personally rip them to pieces."**

"Sounds fair enough," Harry replied and motioned the others to follow him.

Draco walked next to him and casted nervous glances at the lion.

"Has he planned to rip someone apart?" he asked in what he hoped was a calm, nonchalant voice.

"Unless someone steals something, no," Harry answered grinning.

"Please don't tell me you like this lion," Draco frowned unhappily.

"Why would I not? I mean, my family has a lion who can breathe fire, protecting the vaults. How cool is that! You have to admit, Draco, that this is a pretty awesome lion," Harry smiled.

"You're an idiot, Harry," Draco muttered, but his voice lacked the malice that was once there in the past.

"Maybe, but now you're friends with me. So if I'm an idiot, what does that make of you?" Harry replied amused.

Draco opened his mouth to throw a sarcastic remark back and then realized he couldn't say anything back.

"Never thought I would see you speechless, Draco. You never cease to amaze me," Harry teased, his green eyes shining with laughter.

"Oh, shut it," Draco muttered and scowled half – heartily.

"Make me," Harry smirked and then stuck his tongue out.

_Don't jump him, don't jump him,_ Draco thought repeatedly. He was saved from embarrassment when the lion stopped before an old wooden door.

" **Here we are,"** the lion said and his red eyes looked at Harry. **"Do you have the key?"**

"Eh." Harry searched through his pockets and then remembered that Gornuk hadn't given it. "Eh, Gornuk, can I have the key, please?"

Gornuk sighed and handed over the key scowling. It looked almost like he had hoped the lion would be ripping someone apart.

"Thank you," Harry said politely.

" **Good, good. Place the key to the sign in the door,"** the lion instructed and moved out of the way.

"Pardon me for asking, but do you have a name?" Harry asked while he studied the sign. There were two figures carved out of wood: a lion and a dragon standing next to each other peacefully. The lion had two rubies as eyes and the eyes of the dragon were emeralds. The light of the torches flickered in the stones which gave the illusion that the carved figures were watching.

" **My name is Dagda. Why do you ask?"** the lion asked, his eyes watching him curiously.

"It's easier to call you by your name then referring to you as the lion," Harry answered smiling and placed the key to the sign, still wondering why there was a lion and a dragon on the door of his vaults. The lion he could understand, considering it was on the Potters' crest; but why was there a dragon too? Harry shook his head: he would think about it later.

When the door opened, all their mouths fell open. The vault was huge! It was full of gold: Galleons, Sickles and Knuts were laying in piles on the ground. There were also different kind of stones: ruby, diamond, topaz, emerald…

Thick, dusty, old books were neatly piled against three walls. Different kind of clothes were folded and put into big trunks. On the biggest wall Harry could see a variety of weapons hanging: swords, axes, knives…

"Holy shit!" Harry gasped with huge eyes.

"You can say that again," Sirius said, gulping when he saw the content of the vault.

"You never said you were that rich!" Draco said indignantly.

"Nobody ever told me!" Harry replied surprised.

"You must be as rich as my family," Draco said, sounding incredulous.

"Actually, I think Harry is now even richer than you. Hell, I think Harry is officially one of the richest boys of England," Sirius grinned.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Lucius sighed.

"What am I enjoying? Oh, you mean the fact that my godson is now richer than your son? Yes, I most certainly am enjoying this," Sirius replied, laughing.

Remus cuffed his head. "Behave like the adult you're supposed to be," he chastised Sirius.

"Where's the fun in that?" Sirius complained.

"Father, is Harry really richer than us?" Draco asked surprised.

"I'm afraid so, Draco. I believe the Potter family has always been richer and more powerful than the Malfoys," Lucius answered.

"Their arrogance is bigger too," Snape sneered.

Draco frowned his forehead. "Sev, be nice."

"Yes, Sev, be nice," Sirius said in a nagging voice.

"Well, Harry, why don't you take some gold?" Lucius suggested loudly.

"Why? I don't need the money now. It's too early to go shopping for school stuff," Harry said confused, not noticing that Snape and Sirius were currently engaged in a staring contest. But the word 'money' made Sirius snap out of the contest, although reluctantly.

"Of course, you need money. We are going shopping," Sirius said satisfied, while thinking that he would need money too. No way was he letting Harry pay.

"Shopping? For what?" Harry asked suspiciously, not liking the way this conversation was going.

"Shopping for new clothes, of course! You need a new wardrobe, Harry. Clothes that actually fit from the first time," Sirius explained patiently.

For some strange reason, Harry didn't think he would like shopping with these men. "What's wrong with my clothes?"

"They don't fit properly and they aren't very stylish," Draco clarified and looked critically at the other boy.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I don't need stylish clothes. I'm perfectly fine with the clothes I have now."

"I will make your life a living hell, if we don't get you new clothes, Harry, and I mean it," Draco said and his grey eyes were glittering madly. "Voldemort will look tame in comparison with me. I don't take no for an answer."

"Apparently," Harry muttered and he eyed Draco warily. Then he suddenly had an idea when he heard Remus chuckling.

_So, Remus thinks my future suffering is funny? I'll show him,_ Harry thought.

"All right, I give up. We'll go shopping," Harry sighed. Sirius and Draco cheered. "But only if we go shopping for Remus too," he added smirking.

Remus immediately stopped chuckling and looked horrified. "What? No!"

"Yes, you need some new clothes too," Harry grinned, enjoying Remus' horrified face, while putting some money away too.

"What! No, I don't need…" Remus started to stutter, when he was interrupted by Sirius.

"You know, Harry is right. You really need new clothes. Well, it's decided then: we go shopping for Harry and Remus." Sirius clapped in his hands. "Come on, before we go, we have to visit my vault first. I need some money too." With that said, Sirius walked out of the vault, closely followed by Draco, Lucius and a very reluctant Snape.

When Remus too was out the vault, Harry pressed his key to the sign again and the door closed.

The moment he turned around, he was faced with a red faced Remus.

"What the hell were you thinking? I don't want to suffer too. How could you do this to me?" Remus hissed, while breathing heavily.

"I'd say I would make you regret your pessimism from a few hours ago, Remus. This is just my revenge," Harry laughed. "Now come on, we have some shopping to do." He practically skipped his way back to the cart, only stopping to wave at Dagda.

All the way back to the cart, Remus was muttering things like, "That evil, dark haired devil."

He would make sure Harry paid for this. Nobody took revenge on a Marauder and got away with it.


	6. Shopping and Grimmauld Place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this chapter: a bit of foul language, a shopping spree
> 
> Also, it was only a while after I had written this chapter that I remembered that Draco knew Harry was a Parseltongue, but for this story let's pretend that he had forgotten about that fact, all right? ^^;
> 
> Translation for the Latin spell: 'cupio conspectum melium' = I expect better sight. (Apologies if this is wrong)  
> Translation for the French words:  
> Bonjour = hello  
> Sacre – blue = damn, shit, darned  
> Mon dieu = my god  
> S'il vous plaît = please  
> Oui = yes  
> Bien sûr = of course  
> Bon = well, good
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 6: Shopping and Grimmauld Place**

"So, where are we going to first?" Harry asked sighing, already dreading the upcoming shopping trip.

"Don't be so enthusiastic, it might hurt you," Draco said dryly.

"You're not the one who's going to be tortured," Harry mumbled and glared at Draco.

"Don't tell me you would rather face Voldemort than go shopping with us," Draco said, slightly pouting.

"At least against Voldemort I can properly defend myself," Harry muttered.

Draco rolled his eyes, but didn't retort back.

"Don't be such a grump, Harry. By the time we're done, you will be thanking us," Sirius grinned and put his arm around Harry to steer him along.

"Not a bloody chance," Harry muttered under his breath. Then he noticed they had walked into a side street. He raised his eyebrows; he had never been in this street. "Where are we going?"

"Before we go shopping, I'm going to get your eyes fixed. It's time those horrible glasses are gone," Sirius answered happily.

Harry's hand automatically flew to his glasses. "What? But I…"

"No buts. Believe me, once those glasses and those clothes are gone, you will attract the ladies like treacle attracts flies," Sirius announced, not noticing the shocked face of his godson.

"Excuse me?"

Sirius ignored the cry of his godson and searched for the optician.

At that same time, Draco was imagining Harry without glasses and with more fashionable clothes on. He gulped at the image and a slight blush appeared on his cheeks. Yes, he would definitely like the changes. Although he wasn't sure about his reaction when girls would begin to flirt with Harry. Draco narrowed his eyes: if one girl would think that she would win Harry over, then she had obviously not calculated Draco in her plan. He would be damned if someone would steal Harry from him.

Of course, he didn't think for one second that there was a chance that Harry wasn't even gay. As far as he was concerned, he wouldn't have a problem with getting Harry to like him too.

Snape, who had been watching his godson, narrowed his black eyes when he saw the light blush and the narrowed eyes.

"Draco, is there something wrong?" he asked casually.

"What? No, no! Why would you think that?" Draco asked, a bit panicked that he was caught. He didn't dare to look his godfather in the eyes, for fear that Severus would look into his mind.

"You're blushing. And a few seconds ago, you looked you were ready to kill someone," Snape stated, not impressed with the glare Draco sent him.

"I'm not blushing and I'm perfectly fine. There's nothing wrong with me," Draco answered obstinately.

"Except for the fact that you're now talking with Potter without fighting once," Snape grumbled under his breath.

"Aha! Here we are!" Sirius exclaimed.

They stopped before a store with flying glasses in the display – window and a sign that read _"Jean Lefevre's Optician. Everything you need for your eyes!"_

Sirius opened the door. "Let's go. We still have a lot to do."

Harry sighed, but followed his godfather in the store.

The store was big and the walls were blue. Everywhere in the room, Harry could see glasses in different forms.

He was startled when a man suddenly appeared in front of him. The man had half long black hair with brown highlights that was tied together. He was as tall as Draco, which was six feet. Harry himself was five feet and eight inches and a half.

The man's eyes were a light brown and his skin was tanned. The man grinned when he saw his customers.

"Bonjour gentlemen. How can I help you?" the man asked with a French accent.

"Hello, we are here for my godson. Harry needs to get his eyes fixed permanently," Sirius replied while putting an arm around Harry to show him.

"Sacrebleu! Harry Potter! I never thought I…Mon dieu! It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Jean Lefevre," the man said and shook Harry's hand, looking excited.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, sir," Harry said uncomfortably.

"Call me Jean, s'il vous plait," Jean smiled and then clapped his hands. "So you need to get rid of those glasses, oui?"

"Yes," Sirius nodded.

"Bien sûr, follow me, s'il vous plaît. This way, come on." Jean beckoned Harry to follow him.

"Take this seat," he ordered.

Harry sighed, but complied and scowled at Draco.

"Why are you looking like that at me? Fixing your eyes wasn't my idea," Draco defended himself.

"I know, but I can't stay mad at Sirius," Harry grumbled.

"Why not?" he asked confused.

"Let's just say that he acts like a kicked puppy when someone is mad at him," Harry answered and crossed his arms.

"That sucks," Draco commented amused.

Sirius, who had heard the boys' conversation, wrapped his arm round Harry's shoulders and replied, "Ah, but he loves me really."

Harry rolled his eyes, but didn't reply.

"Bon, let's take those glasses off, shall we?" Jean came back with his wand in his hand.

Harry bit on his lip, but took his glasses off and stuffed them in his pocket.

"Are you ready?" Jean asked smiling.

Harry shrugged. "I guess."

"Cupio conspectum melium," Jean said clearly. His wand was pointed on the spot right between Harry's eyes. A light blue light shot out the wand and enveloped both Harry's eyes.

Harry felt a light pressure on his eyes that lasted for a few seconds. He blinked when the pressure disappeared and looked around. For the first time in his life, he could see everything very clearly. Even with his glasses on, he hadn't been able to see that clearly.

"And? Can you see clearer now?" Lucius asked.

Bright emerald green eyes flew up to him. "Yes. Thank you." The last sentence was addressed to Jean.

Jean waved his hand and smiled. "It was nothing. It was a pleasure to help you."

"How much is it?" Sirius asked and reached into his pocket. He was happy that Harry could finally see without glasses. He still wondered why nobody had done this earlier.

"That's four Galleons and twenty-five Sickles, s'il vous plait," Jean smiled.

"Okay." Just when Sirius was about to drop the money on the counter, Harry grabbed his arm to stop him.

"You're not going to pay for me," he said, his jaw set stubbornly.

"Why not?" Sirius asked surprised.

"I can pay for myself, thank you," Harry answered, not letting the arm go.

Sirius sighed. "Harry, just let me pay. I'm your godfather; the least I can do…"

"I don't care. Just because you're my godfather doesn't mean I'm letting you pay. I'm perfectly capable of paying for this." Harry took a step forward, effectively blocking Sirius' path.

"Please, Harry, why can't you just let me pay?" Sirius asked, whining a bit.

While the two started to bicker, Snape was still coping from the shock of seeing Harry's eyes. He knew of course, that the boy had his mother's eyes, but they had always being hidden behind those round glasses. Now that the glasses were gone, Snape could see clearly the emerald green eyes that he had once seen in Lily's face.

Lucius was studying his friend and suddenly knew why Severus was looking so intently at Harry.

 _Of course, the boy has his mother's eyes,_ Lucius thought, chiding himself for not realizing this sooner.

"The resemblance is remarkable, isn't it?" Lucius said casually.

Snape threw a quick glance at him, saw apparently nothing suspicious and nodded reluctantly. "Yes, but that's also where the resemblance ends."

"Now Severus, you don't know that. He may look like his father, but that doesn't mean his personality is like James Potter too. Maybe you should give the boy a chance. Get to know him a little," Lucius encouraged the Potion's Master.

Snape looked suspicious. "Since when are you a fan of Potter?"

"I'm not, but seeing as Draco had befriended the boy, I don't think I gain something if I'm against him," Lucius replied, amused by the shock of outrage on Snape's face. Clearly, he didn't know it.

"I can't believe he did that! Is he trying to kill me?" Snape growled.

"No, just annoying you, I suspect," Lucius said lightly.

"Fine, you can pay! But then I don't want any expensive birthday gifts. Understood?" Harry surprised them by growling.

"Yes! Finally!" Sirius cried in victory. "Merlin, you have to be as stubborn as Lilyflower. It's only a shame you don't have her self-preservation."

"What do you mean with that?" Harry's eyes narrowed.

Sirius, sensing the danger, quickly dropped his money on the counter, smiled at the shopkeeper and then made a run for his life.

"SIRIUS!" Harry yelled and ran after his godfather.

Remus shook his head. "Now he has done it. Oh well, it's his life," he said lightly and beckoned the others to follow him out the store.

"He's your friend. Don't you have to save him or something?" Draco suggested, but was entertained by the fact that a grown-up Black was scared of Harry.

"I value my life, thank you very much," Remus simply said.

* * *

When they saw Sirius and Harry again, Sirius had puppy – eyes and Harry was sighing and rolling his eyes.

"Is he forgiven?" Remus asked nonchalantly.

"I'm still thinking about it," Harry answered through clenched teeth.

"Well, while you're thinking about it, can we finally go shopping?" Draco asked impatiently. Only his Malfoy training kept him from whining. Barely.

"You never give up, huh?" Harry grumbled. "What if I don't want to go shopping?"

"Tough," Draco replied, grabbed Harry's hand – ignoring the spark that the touch sent through him – and began dragging him to the nearest shop with clothes. "You're still going."

"Where is Voldemort when you need him?" Harry muttered under his breath.

"What did you say?" Draco asked sharply.

"Nothing," Harry smiled innocently. He looked behind him and saw the other men trailing after them at a safe distant from the blond. _Cowards,_ Harry scoffed silently.

"All right, here is our first stop," Draco announced.

Harry barely had time to read the sign when Draco pushed him through the door.

"Okay, Harry, stand here and don't move. I'm going to pick out your clothes," Draco said and placed Harry a few feet from the dressing rooms.

"Why are you choosing my clothes?" Harry asked, resigned to his fate.

"Because you have no fashion sense whatsoever," Draco stated.

"Excuse me? I have fashion sense!" Harry protested.

"Of course you do. Now stand still and shut up," Draco ordered. He studied Harry critically and then snapped his fingers. "I know! Wait here."

Before Harry could protest, Draco disappeared further into the store.

The rest of the group came to a stop against the wall next to Harry.

Lucius looked around. "Where is Draco?"

"He's in the store, looking for clothes because apparently I have no fashion sense," Harry sniffed.

"Has he really said that?" Sirius tried to smother his laughter.

"Thank you, Sirius for being so supportive." Harry rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"If it's any consolation, James hadn't had much fashion sense either. The first thing Lily did, when they started out as friends, was taking him out for shopping," Sirius laughed.

"I feel so much better now," Harry said sarcastically.

"You are already spending too much time with Draco. You are getting more and more sarcastic," Snape said without glowering.

Harry blinked. "Huh, you're right. Oh well, what can you do about it?" He shrugged.

"You know, your situation reminds me oddly enough of that of James and Lily," Sirius said, appearing to be thinking about something.

"The only resemblance that I see, is the fact that I'm forced to go shopping," Harry grumbled.

"Are you still whining about that?" Draco suddenly appeared again with a huge pile of clothes in his arms. He dropped the clothes on a chair nearby and began searching through it.

"I'm not whining," Harry huffed and glared at the blond.

"Of course not. Now be a good boy and try these on," Draco said and pointed at a dark blue shirt with a V-line and dark blue jeans.

"And if I don't? You're going to spank me?" Harry grumbled and snatched the clothes on his way to the dressing room.

"Interesting to know that you're a masochist," Draco teased, while trying to erase the images that came up with this particular topic. Not that he would mind to give Harry a – no, focus!

"And you're a sadist. We make such a good couple," Harry snorted and disappeared into the dressing room.

Meanwhile, Sirius and Remus were looking through the clothes. The pile consisted mostly out of different shirts and sweaters in the colours black, purple, blue and different kinds of green. Most of the jeans were blue and tight.

"Are you only going to pick out the basics?" Sirius asked and examined a black jumper with a green dragon on the back.

Draco nodded. "In this store, yes. After we're done here, we go to the shop at the end of the street to buy things that will complete his outfits."

"I don't like these clothes," Harry suddenly whined. "They're too tight."

Draco turned around and barely managed to hold back his gasp. The blue shirt clung to Harry's chest and showed his muscles. The pants were also very tight and showed perfectly his long legs and round arse. The dark blue shirt made Harry's hair look even darker.

All in all, the only conclusion was, Harry looked incredibly hot.

"The only reason you're complaining is because you're not used to wearing fitting clothes. We have finally introduced you to the world of fitting and fashionable clothes," Draco smirked.

 _Oh yes, by the time I'm done with Harry, he'll be a hot sex god,_ Draco thought, mentally rubbing his hands in glee. The only flaw in his plan was that everybody would see how hot Harry was and there was a big chance that lots of people would flirt even harder with the Boy-Who-Lived.

 _But I can live with that,_ Draco thought. That meant that Harry was the best catch – not that there was doubt about that before – and Malfoys only lived with the best.

"I don't see the need to wear fashionable clothes. Clothes have only two purposes: keeping you warm and covering your naked body," Harry muttered and tugged self-consciously on his shirt.

Draco batted his hand away. "Stop tugging! You're going to stretch it."

"And how do I look?" Harry asked, shuffling with his feet.

"I have to go clubbing with you, Harry! The ladies will be all over you!" Sirius grinned, rubbing his hands in excitement.

"In other words, you look very good," Remus smiled. Harry smiled back and looked relieved. Then Remus turned to Sirius. "You're not taking him to any clubs!"

"Why not?" Sirius asked and rubbed his head where Remus had hit him.

"He's too young! He's only fifteen. Besides, I doubt that any club will allow his inside, because he's too young," Remus replied, satisfied with his explanation.

"I bet that every club will let him inside, seeing as he's Harry Potter. They wouldn't dare to turn him down, because they know it's good for their business if Harry Potter visits them," Sirius argued back.

Remus' amber eyes glowed dangerously. "If you dare to take Harry clubbing when he's not over seventeen, there will be some serious consequences, my friend," he growled.

Sirius held his hands up in surrender when he saw that Remus wasn't joking and didn't even dare to joke with the 'serious consequences' like he always did when that word came up.

"He's totally whipped," Lucius whispered in Snape's ear.

Snape smiled briefly malicious.

"Here, try this one on." Draco pushed an emerald green sweater with a dragon on the front in Harry's outstretched hand.

Harry sighed but complied. He tried the sweater on and showed it to the group.

The emerald green sweater was – to put it lightly – a success. Everybody agreed that color really brought out Harry's eyes.

Harry had just went back to the dressing rooms, when Draco's eyes caught a black T-shirt.

 _Hm, he really should try this one on too,_ Draco thought while looking at a black T-shirt with a white snake on the back.

Without thinking, he walked to the dressing rooms and pulled the curtain back while saying: "Harry, you should try this one o…" He abruptly stopped speaking when he saw Harry and his eyes widened a bit when he saw in which state Harry was.

Harry had just worked his way out of the green sweater and stood only clad in his jeans in front of Draco.

 _Damn, God must have had an exceptional good day when he created Harry,_ Draco thought while his eyes ranked over Harry's naked upper body. He was not too muscled: playing Quidditch had given him some muscles, but they were not too big. And those abs… Draco nearly drooled when he saw them. He could only imagine how water would run over those abs… His skin had a soft golden color, probably from being outside so much.

 _Oh, yes, I think the word 'perfect' suits Harry just fine,_ Draco thought, but snapped his eyes back to Harry's face when the boy shifted. Draco saw a blush forming on Harry's cheeks and almost groaned. Why did he have to look so attractive when Draco couldn't do anything? Yet.

"Eh, Draco?" Harry said slowly when Draco didn't say anything more.

Hearing Harry's voice made him snap out of his daze. "Yes, sorry, here, try this one on too, will you?" he said hastily and pushed the shirt in Harry's hands. Quickly he turned around and closed the curtain again, while his heart pounded furiously. Well, this would certainly fuel his fantasies.

Harry blinked at the sudden departure of Draco, but shrugged. Draco was now his friend, but that didn't mean he would ever understand the blond boy. He looked at the black shirt and noticed the white snake on it.

 _Hm, this is a cool shirt,_ he thought and slipped the shirt on. He looked in the mirror and was pleasantly surprised when he looked good with it. The snake on his back could move and was slithering to the front.

 _Well, this shirt I want for sure,_ he grinned and tried another one on.

Finally, after what felt hours for Harry, but was in reality only one hour, he had tried on all the clothes and it was decided to buy them all.

Harry was once again dressed in his first outfit: the dark blue shirt and dark blue jeans.

They went to the counter and placed the six shirts, seven sweaters and seven jeans on it.

"Is that all?" the man asked and then his eyes widened when he saw Harry. "Well, good afternoon, Mister Potter," he then added, sounding as if he was flirting. Which he was doing, but Harry didn't notice it. Draco, on the other hand, did notice it – and he didn't like it one bit.

"Yes, that is all. How much does it cost?" Draco asked, his eyes cold.

"Eh, thirteen Galleons, nineteen Sickles and seven Knuts," the man answered quickly when he saw Draco's look that promised a lot of pain if he kept the flirting up.

"Good," Draco said and reached for his pocket.

"What do you think you're doing?" Harry narrowed his eyes and grabbed Draco's arm to stop him. "You're not going to pay for me."

"Why wouldn't I?" Draco asked innocently. He looked meaningfully at Sirius, made sure that the man looked and then nodded slightly at the counter. Sirius nodded in understanding and silently took his gold.

This all happened in just five seconds. Too fast for Harry to notice it.

"I'm not some charity case! I don't need someone to pay for me," Harry growled.

"Of course, I understand, Harry," Draco said calmly, freeing his arm.

"Huh? Eh, okay," Harry stammered, turned around to pay and saw Sirius standing with the two bags. He turned back around to face Draco. "I'm starting to invent new reasons as to why I should hate you. The first one, you can't be trusted. Second one, you're a Slytherin bastard."

"Yes, but if it wasn't for me, you would still walk around in those rags you call clothes," Draco sniffed. He grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him out of the store, the men following chuckling.

"You're arrogant, you know that right? Where are we going to anyway? I have new clothes; that's why we came here, right?" Harry asked and almost had to run to keep up with Draco.

"We only have a part of your new wardrobe. We are going for the rest in another shop," Draco explained.

"What do you mean 'rest'?" Harry asked annoyed.

"You'll see," Draco smiled, thrilled with the fact that he was holding Harry's hand.

"Here is it," Draco announced brightly a few minutes later and again dragged Harry in, not giving him a chance to look at the sign.

The store was enormous was the first thing Harry noticed. There were not only many clothes – horses filled with clothes, but against the walls there were also boxes filled with shoes from different materials: dragon skin, leather, rubber,…

"Before we go to the shoes, we're going to get you some new pyjamas and some new underwear as well," Draco said.

"What! You're not choosing my underwear!" Harry whispered furiously as to not attract attention.

"Unless you go commando – which would be interesting to know by the way – you need underwear," Draco smirked and went to the underwear section. "Tell me, boxers or briefs?"

Harry turned immediately red. "Can't we just buy some pyjamas and shoes and then go?"

Draco shook his head. "Not before this. Boxers or briefs?"

Harry looked away, still blushing like mad and mumbled, "Boxers."

Draco nodded satisfied and looked through the boxers. "Now was that really so hard?"

"Shut up!" Harry muttered.

Remus looked amused at the two boys. If someone told him one year ago that Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy would be laughing and shopping together without trying to kill each other, he would have sent that person to Saint Mungos for a head exam. And here they were, teasing each other.

He chuckled when he saw Harry trying to prevent Draco from choosing his underwear and failing miserably. Harry pouted, threw his hands in the air and stalked to the adults. He stopped right before them.

"I hate your son," he stated calmly to Lucius.

"You learn to live with him," Lucius replied amused.

"It can't be that bad, cub," Remus teased him.

Harry smirked. "We'll see about that. Sirius, didn't you agree that Remus too needs some shopping? I'm feeling bad that I'm the only one who gets a new wardrobe."

"You're evil," Remus growled.

"Harry is right! Come Moony, we're in the perfect store," Sirius said enthusiastically and walked to a clothes – horse filled with shirts.

"You're unbelievable evil!" Remus growled again and glared at Harry.

Harry waved him off. "Yeah, yeah, thank me later."

"Moony! Get your butt over here!" Sirius laughed.

"You're going to pay for this," Remus hissed and stalked over to Sirius. When he saw the maniacal glean in Sirius' eyes, he gulped. _Damn, I had hoped he would've forgotten the shop trip. I am so getting revenge for this. Harry better watch out._

"Okay Harry, it's time for the pyjamas," Draco announced happily.

Harry sighed, but followed the blond. It wasn't like he had a choice, after all.

While Harry and Draco were looking at the pyjamas (for some reason Draco insisted that the best colours were green, blue and black), Remus was waiting for Sirius to choose his clothes and looking at the various clothing styles.

Just when he was about to ask Sirius when he was done choosing, his eyes caught the sight of a pants. He grinned; he just had noticed the perfect object for his revenge. He looked around and after a moment, he spotted the blond hair of Draco, who was standing in the shoe department.

A quick glance reassured him that Sirius was still occupied with the clothes and he walked to Draco.

Draco was watching Harry, who was trying on boots made of dragon skin.

"Draco," Remus said softly.

Draco turned around. "What?"

"Come here. I have a favor to ask of you," Remus said.

"What favor?" Draco asked curiously.

"I want to take revenge on Harry for making me shopping too. Now I noticed that they sell leather pants in this store. How high is the chance that Harry will want a leather pants voluntary?" Remus asked innocently.

Draco smirked, already knowing what he had to do. "There is no chance."

"Exactly! But if a certain Malfoy would, say, persuade him, than I get my revenge and you have an excuse to buy more clothes for him. A leather pants has to be in every man's wardrobe, don't you think?" Remus winked.

"Don't worry, you can count on me. I'll even let him try on the pants," Draco smirked.

"Thank you, Draco. Now excuse me, while I'll try to pull Sirius out of the clothes," Remus grinned and walked back to his best friend.

"What did Remus want?" Harry asked curiously.

Draco spun around and smiled. "Nothing special. He was complaining about your godfather picking out too much clothes."

Harry rolled his eyes.

"Now, how many shoes do you have?" Draco asked.

"Six pairs."

"Good, you only have to try on one last thing. Wait here, I'll be right back."

Harry shrugged and sat down on a chair. _I wonder what the last thing is,_ Harry mused.

"Here, try this on." Draco said and held up a… leather pants.

"There's no way in hell that I'll try on a leather pants," Harry growled and threw a disgusted look at the pants.

"Ah, come on, Harry! Just try these on; it's just leather," Draco tried to coax him.

"I'm not wearing those!" Harry replied stubbornly.

By the time Sirius had paid for Remus' clothes and had, together with Remus, Lucius and Snape, walked to the two boys, Harry and Draco were bickering.

"What's going on here?" Lucius asked surprised.

"Harry is too chicken to try these pants on," Draco complained and held up the pants to show them. Lucius and Snape raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not too chicken!" Harry protested.

"Yes, you are! Where is that famous Gryffindor courage? I can't believe you're scared of pants," Draco taunted him.

Harry's eyes lit up with determined fire. "Fine! I'll show you that I'm not scared of those stupid pants!" He snatched the pants out of Draco's hands and stormed into the dressing room.

"You Gryffindors are easily offended, did you know that?" Draco remarked lightly, not in the least taken back at Harry's out lash.

"Don't you think you went a little too far?" Lucius questioned his son.

"No, I bet he has already forgiven me," Draco smiled.

* * *

In the dressing room, Harry was cursing a certain blond into a volcano, while struggling with the pants.

Finally the pants were on and Harry gasped when he looked at the mirror.

"That motherfucking son of a bitch!" he muttered when he saw how tight the pants were. The pants didn't leave anything over to the imagination.

He snatched the curtains open and yelled angrily, not caring that the group was only a few feet away, "You are one dead man, Draco Malfoy! By the time I'm done with you, not even your own father will recognize you!"

He was met with stunned faces.

"What?" he asked, heavily annoyed.

"Damn, you look fantastic with those pants on," Draco whistled softly.

"You look even better than me in leather. That's not fair!" Sirius pouted.

"Why would you…" Harry shook his head. "Never mind. I don't want to know it."

"Do you like the pants, Harry?" Remus chuckled, his soft golden eyes shining in amusement.

"No, not particularly. Why?" Harry narrowed his eyes.

"Just asking," Remus laughed.

"It's your fault that I'm forced to wear these ridiculous pants, isn't it?" Harry growled, having finally figured out why Remus was laughing like that.

"Look at it as my revenge," Remus smirked. "Oh, and these pants will definitely be bought."

Harry glared at him. "And you're supposed to be my family." He turned around and closed the curtains again. This time he was cursing a certain werewolf to Alaska, while getting out of his pants.

* * *

In the end, Harry ended up with eight pyjamas and a leather pants. He had lost the count with his boxers.

"Is there anywhere in particular that you want to go to?" Remus asked outside the store.

"I need to go to the pet store. I ran out of owl treats," Harry said.

Two minutes later, the group stood in the middle of the Eeylops Owl Emporium, the noisy pet store. Harry and Draco each held a bag of owl treats in their hand – for which they already had paid (Draco had finally let Harry pay for himself) – and were now looking at the animals.

Harry's eyes caught the sight of a moving animal on the ground and pulled Draco behind him when he realized it was a poisonous cobra. The cobra had shining black scales and a red crown on her head. The snake was almost five feet long. Every time she moved, the light would catch her scales and spread around the area.

"Harry, what are you doing?" Draco asked irritated. He had just been looking at a baby Crup.

"Sssh!" Harry whispered and kneeled on the ground, right before the snake.

That was the moment Draco noticed the snake. "Oh, shit! Why is there a snake loose on the floor?" he whispered as to not startle the snake too much.

"I'll ask him." Harry turned to the cobra and hissed, " _What is such a beautiful snake as you doing on the floor?"_

If there was one thing that always brought you on good graces with snakes – be them magical or normal – then it was flattery.

" _You speak my language, human?"_ the cobra asked.

" _Yes, it's a gift. Tell me, what is your name?" _ Harry asked, not aware of Draco and the adults standing behind him in awe. Well, everyone except for Snape of course. He already knew Harry could speak with snakes.

" _My name is Shelia. And yours, human?"_

" _Harry,"_ he replied and offered Shelia his arm. _" Why don't we get you off the floor, hm? I would hate it if your beautiful black skin got all dirty."_

" _Thanks for the compliment."_ Shelia wound herself round Harry's arm and she rested her head on his shoulder.

Carefully, so that Shelia wouldn't fall, Harry stood up.

"Eh, isn't that snake poisonous?" Draco asked and eyed the snake warily.

"She is, but she won't bite me. Isn't she beautiful?" Harry asked awed and stroked Shelia's back.

"I didn't know you could speak Parseltongue, Prongslet," Sirius said perplexed.

Harry bowed his head and muttered, "I've known it since second year."

"Hey, it's not so bad. I think it's cool. At least now, I know for sure I won't get bitten by a snake. You only have to tell them not to bite and they won't do it. That's brilliant!" Sirius said enthusiastically.

"We don't mind it, cub," Remus soothed him.

"A Gryffindor who can speak to snakes. Hilarious," Draco chuckled.

Harry smiled.

" _Can you do me a favour, Master Harry?"_   Shelia suddenly asked.

" _Of course. Ask away."_

" _Could you please set me free? I've always wanted to be free in the wild,"_   Shelia asked.

" _Sure, but promise me you won't bite anyone,_ _"_ Harry asked.

" _I promise, Master."_

" _Hide under my T – shirt."_

_It was a strange feeling; a snake crawling underneath your shirt_ , Harry mused and shuddered when the cool snake skin touched his warm skin.

"Harry, why is there a cobra underneath your T – shirt?" Draco drawled.

"Shelia doesn't like it here, so I promised that I would set her outside," Harry answered, laid some money on the nearest table to compensate the future loss of the cobra and walked to the exit.

Draco tolled his eyes, but followed Harry. "Only you would promise a poisonous snake freedom," he muttered amused, but he was secretly fascinated and thrilled with the fact that Harry was a Parseltongue.

"What was that?" Harry asked and opened the door.

"Nothing."

"Where do you want to put the snake?" Lucius asked curiously.

Harry studied his surroundings and noticed a small gap between the apothecary and the pet store. When he stood before the gap, he saw that it lead to a small forest, large enough for Shelia to disappear into.

"This is perfect." Harry kneeled on the dirty ground, ignoring the little pebble stones that dug in his jeans. " _There you go, Shelia. Be safe,"   _he hissed softly, while making sure the other people's view on him was blocked.

" _Thank you, Master,"   _Shelia hissed back and slithered away.

"Has the snake gone away?" Lucius asked and raised a blond eyebrow.

"Yes," Harry sighed and pouted slightly. "She was such a beautiful snake."

Draco smirked.

Harry saw this and narrowed his eyes. "What are you smirking at?" He stood up and brushed the dust off his pants.

"Just enjoying the mental image of the Gryffindor's Golden Boy taking a liking to snakes," Draco smirked. "I wonder what would've happened if you were sorted in Slytherin," he then mused.

It was Harry's time to smirk. "If you hadn't been such a bastard on our first train ride, you would've known."

"What! What do you mean?" Draco asked incredulously.

"Exactly what I've just said. Chances were big that if you hadn't been such an arse to me, I wouldn't have cared if the Hat had put me in Slytherin," Harry answered, taking delight in the fact that he had stunned the entire group speechless. Well, almost the entire group.

"If that's the case, then why didn't the Hat put you in my House?" Draco asked curiously.

"Because I asked him not to do it," Harry stated in a matter of fact voice.

Draco blinked. "I didn't know you could argue with the Hat."

"Neither did I, but it worked, didn't it?" Harry smiled.

"I'll say," Draco muttered in a low voice. _Maybe it won't be so difficult to let Harry stay in Slytherin for the ritual_ , he mused.

"Wait, does this mean that Snivellus over here nearly became your Head of the House?" Sirius asked, the corners of his mouth slightly turned upwards, as if he wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or not.

"That thought is disturbing," Snape drawled, not letting his surprise show. _How many times will I be surprised today?,_ he wondered silently.

"Yes, surprising, isn't it?" Harry turned to Snape. "If I was sorted into your House, would you still have taking so much points of me?"

"I don't know for sure," Snape answered, his voice low.

"Probably not. Snivellus wouldn't take points of his own House. If he did – like he should – then he could just give the Cup to Gryffindor," Sirius said smugly.

"As if Gryffindor could defeat Slytherin," Lucius scoffed amused.

"The cup has been in Gryffindor for the last five years," Sirius informed him, not quite succeeding in hiding his glee.

"That's surprising news. How odd that the Cup went to Gryffindor the moment Harry entered school," Lucius mused, but the sentence didn't contain any malice.

Harry put on an innocent face. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course you don't."

"Are we going to stand here all day?" Snape asked annoyed, his black eyes glowering. All that shopping was working on his nerves.

"Nope, we're going for ice cream now and then we're heading home," Sirius announced happily, grabbed Harry's and Remus' hands and pulled them along to Florian's ice cream shop.

"Does he mean that?" Draco asked, not used to the happy moods of Sirius. He wasn't used to his cousin at all.

"Unfortunately, yes," Snape growled soft and stalked after the Gryffindor trio.

Lucius and Draco stared at each other for a minute, shrugged (elegantly, they were Malfoys after all) and followed the others.

* * *

When they arrived at Florean Fortescue, the ice cream shop , they sought out a table where they wouldn't attract so much attention. They selected a round table and sat down.

Harry sat with his back against a dark green painted wall. On his left sat Sirius and on his right Draco – who was very pleased with himself that he had finally managed to secure a seat next to Harry.

Next to Sirius, Remus was seated. The circle closed with Lucius sitting next to Remus and Snape next to Draco.

Harry looked around. He had been to Florean two years ago, but he hadn't sat inside then. The shop was painted in green and blue. The floor had shining stones. Most of the tables were more for couples and were situated against the walls. The tables for groups were more in the middle of the huge shop – except for the table where he was seated. This table was more against the wall and the furthest away from the windows with a view on the busy street.

"How can I help you?" A young woman with curly blond hair and blue eyes appeared behind Remus. She was small and wore a light blue dress that reached her knees. Her smile was huge and she held a notebook in her hands.

"Black coffee. No milk, no sugar," Snape said curtly and glared at the girl whose smile fell slightly down by seeing the glare.

"All right," she nodded hastily.

Harry, who was used to the glares – seeing as he had received them many times over the years – had to hold back his sniggering at the poor girl's face. She definitely wasn't used to Snape's glares.

"For me a cappuccino," Lucius ordered, his voice formal but polite.

"I'd like a chocolate sundae and a Butterbeer," Remus smiled.

"For me a banana split and Butterbeer," Sirius grinned.

The woman blushed slightly. "Certainly, sir."

 _It's good to know that I still have my charm,_ Sirius thought smugly and when Remus saw his face, he sighed and slapped Sirius' left knee.

"Ouch, what was that for?" Sirius whispered and rubbed on the stinging place.

"Stop being so smug," Remus whispered back.

"I wasn't being…"

"Sirius," Remus said, a clear warning in his voice.

"Ow, all right," Sirius huffed and resisted the temptation to cross his arms.

"The same for me, please," Harry smiled.

At his voice, the woman looked up and her eyes widened. Her smile went bigger and she batted her eyelashes.

"Well, hello, aren't you Harry Potter?" she asked.

Harry blinked. "Eh, yes."

"I'm so happy to finally meet _the_ Harry Potter! My name is Aïsha," she introduced herself.

"Nice to meet you, Aïsha," Harry said politely, oblivious to the fact that the woman was flirting with him. Again.

Aïsha laughed softly and 'accidently' brushed against Harry's shoulder.

Draco stiffened when he saw the touch. He clenched his fists and narrowed his grey eyes.

Harry sent him a questioning look, but he didn't react.

"I would like to order a caramel sundae, please," Draco said through clenched teeth. Honestly, why was everyone they encountered flirting with Harry? Was it so hard to keep their flirting to a minimum?

Aïsha glared at him. "Of course. I'll be right back with your order," she said stiffly and disappeared behind a screen.

Harry turned to face Draco. "Why are you angry?" he asked bluntly.

"I'm not angry," Draco lied and did his best to reign his anger in.

"You're glaring and you're clenching your fists." Harry raised his eyebrows. "And you're telling me you're not angry?"

"That woman was just annoying me," Draco replied and unclenched his fists.

"How?" Harry frowned.

Draco rolled his eyes and ignored the amused looks he received from the adults. "From the moment she saw you, she was ignoring everyone else. Don't tell me you hadn't noticed it."

"Why would she ignore everybody?" Harry asked confused.

Draco stared at him. Hadn't had Harry noticed the waitress flirting with him?

 _Of course he had noticed it. He's almost sixteen after all,_ Draco thought. _Surely he had women flirting with him before._

"Harry, she was flirting with you," Sirius clarified grinning.

"She was? I was wondering why she was smiling and batting her eyelashes like an idiot. But why would she be flirting with me?" Harry asked, eyebrows furrowed together.

His question was lost in laughter. Harry looked surprised when he saw Remus and Lucius chuckling, Snape shaking his head and Sirius and Draco laughing loudly.

 _Draco had a nice laugh,_ Harry thought distracted and blinked when the thought registered. _Where did that come from?,_ he wondered, but shrugged mentally. It wasn't anything worrisome.

Eventually, Sirius and Draco managed to control their laughter and calmed down.

 _Well, I know now for sure that Harry isn't interested in that idiotic woman,_ Draco thought relieved and grinned at Harry, who smiled bemused back.

Sirius wiped his tears away. "Trust you to say something like that, Prongslet. She was flirting with you, because she obviously likes you. Or at least finds you hot."

"But she must be in her twenties! Why didn't she flirt with anyone of you guys? You're after all not nearly ten years younger!" Harry said with a look of horror on his face.

"Don't you like older women, Harry?" Sirius teased. "I would be flattered if I was you."

"Well, you're not me. And who said she was really flirting with me anyway?" Harry said, fighting down a blush.

"I'm willing to bet she has written her Floo address on the bill," Lucius replied, amused both by Harry's blushing face and his son's glare. He wondered why Draco was glaring at the mere mention of the woman. _Hm, maybe he just didn't like the fact that not all of Harry's attention was on him,_ Lucius mused. But why would he be troubled with that? He would find out sooner or later, he supposed.

"Here's your order; one cappuccino, one black coffee, three Butterbeers, two banana splits, a sundae chocolate and a sundae caramel. Enjoy," Aïsha smiled and levitated the orders in front of the group. She gave Harry the bill and winked. Then she hurried off to another customer.

Harry read the bill and nearly spit out his Butterbeer when he arrived at the end of the bill.

Sirius clapped on his back when Harry began coughing.

"Is the bill that high?" Sirius wondered.

Harry was red in the face from a momentarily lack of oxygen, but he had recovered enough to reply. "No, it's not the price. Lucius was right; she has written her Floo address on the bill!" Harry threw the bill on the table as if it would bite him.

Sirius grabbed the paper and read out loud, "This is my Floo address in case you want to relax some time. After all, rescuing the Wizarding world has to be tiring you out. Just so you know, I give amazing massages. Kisses, Aïsha." Sirius let out his barking laugh.

"Stop laughing! It's not funny!" Harry growled.

"I'm sorry, Prongslet, it's just…" Sirius laughed again. "This is just priceless!"

"Don't mind Padfoot, cub. He's an idiot sometimes," Remus sighed and took the bill out of Sirius' hands.

"I have to congratulate you, Harry. Even James had to use his charm to get a girl's Floo address that quickly," Sirius grinned.

"I'm so proud of myself now," Harry replied sarcastically.

That sent Sirius in another fit of laughing.

Snape shook exasperated his head, but didn't say anything.

Draco was glaring at the bill and dreaming up several gruesome torture techniques that he could use on the irritating, arrogant woman who dared to flirt with Harry, when his attention was diverted to Harry when he asked, "What do you think of flying tomorrow?"

"Sounds great to me," Draco smiled and ate happily of his sundae, excited to have another reason to be alone with Harry again.

Some moments later, Harry went to the bathroom and came back all flustered.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Remus asked confused.

"Three girls have just given me their Floo address," Harry mumbled and dropped the scraps on the table.

When he noticed Sirius grinning and opening his mouth, Harry hastily interrupted him. "Sirius, I've noticed that that woman over there is alone and always looking at you. Why don't you go and see if she needs some company?"

Sirius turned around and when he spotted the woman with long black hair, he grinned and walked towards her. He sat in a chair next to her and sent her a charming smile.

Harry let out a relieved sigh. _Mission distracting Sirius accomplished,_ he thought.

Remus smiled. "You're definitely the son of James."

Harry looked up confused. "What are you talking about, Remus?"

"Your tactic of distracting Sirius when you didn't want to hear his comments. James used that one repeatedly on Padfoot when he got tired of him. Each time with success," Remus chuckled.

Harry smiled. "I just said what came up in my mind."

"Well, it worked."

Three minutes later, Sirius came back with a scrap of paper in his hand.

"I still have my charm," he said satisfied.

"Good to know." Remus rolled his eyes.

"It's getting late and I still need to examine Potter. Let's return to Black's house," Snape snapped and stood up. His robes billowed behind him in their usual fashion.

 _I wonder if he uses magic for that,_ Harry mused.

"Snape's right. Let's go," Remus agreed and stood up.

"Go ahead. I'll pay the bill," Lucius offered.

Sirius shrugged. "Suit yourself. Come on, Harry." He laid his arm around Harry's shoulders and walked together with him out of the shop.

Lucius dropped the required money on the table and grabbed his cane. "Come, Draco."

"Yes, father." Quickly Draco grabbed the scraps with the addresses and stuffed them into his pocket, with the decision to burn them when he got to the house.

The group walked out of Diagon Ally, went outside the Leaky Cauldron and Apparated to Grimmauld Place.

Sirius opened the door quietly and ushered the others inside.

 _The house still looks the same as when I was four,_ Draco thought and shuddered when he saw the portrait of his aunt. He only met her once and that was enough to last him a life time. He looked around; yes, the house was still dark and dirty, but it looked a little bit more cleaned up.

"Let's go to the kitchen, before that crazy hag wakes up," Sirius whispered.

They all nodded and went to follow Sirius.

Harry gulped when he felt Snape's hand on his shoulder.

"Mister Potter, we still have to do your exam. Follow me, we'll go to another room," Snape said and steered him to the stairs.

Harry turned his head and looked pleadingly at the group.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but I think Snivellus is… right," Sirius apologized.

"It'll be fine, cub," Remus soothed him.

Snape snorted, but they ignored him.

"You know what, Harry? I'll be waiting outside the room for you. If Sev decides to torture you, you'll just have to scream and I'm there," Draco smiled and walked with Harry the stairs up.

"Thank you," Harry whispered when they stopped before a room on the third floor.

"No problem. Now go," Draco whispered back and settled in a chair in front of the room.

Harry smiled and then disappeared into the room.

It was time for his – he gulped – exam.


	7. Examination and confrontation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before I start with the warnings for this chapter:  
> I'm not completely happy with this chapter. I've got the feeling that I made Snape too OOC when I didn't want to do that. My apologies for that, but I didn't find another way to describe the examination. This was the best I could come up with. You'll see what I'm talking about if you read it. Now, before you start with the actual reading, I would like to say that I don't want to offend people who have panic attacks. I never have had one, so I don't know what happens exactly or how a person feels. So, my sincere apologies for the possible mistakes. (the panic attack stopped probably too soon, but because I didn't know exactly how long it takes... Yeah, well, this is the result)
> 
> Warnings: Harry gets angry with Ron! And Ron gets angry with Draco! Think you can call this Ron bashing? I'm not sure. Also probably an OOC Snape
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 7: Examination and confrontation**

"So, Mister Potter. Take a seat." Snape gestured to a big chair.

Nervously Harry sat down. "This isn't really necessary, sir."

"On the contrary, Potter. This examination is necessary. Have you taken a good look at yourself in the mirror lately? You don't look exactly healthy," Snape snapped and stalked to a table in the corner of the room, near a dirty window.

"Why do you care?" Harry grumbled and crossed his arms.

Snape looked up to the black ceiling for a second. "Why indeed?" he muttered. "You're an annoying brat, but you're still just a child."

"I'm almost sixteen," Harry muttered.

Snape ignored him and went on, "And if I ignored your situation, then I would be no better than your excuse of a family."

"Can't you ignore your conscience in my case?" Harry pleaded, still hoping to get out of the exam.

"I'd love to, but alas, I can't. Now when was the last time you ate, before we came to pick you up? And don't dare to lie, because I will know when you do," Snape warned.

Harry, who had opened his mouth to reply, snapped his mouth shut when he realized he would have to tell the truth.

 _Damn Snape,_ he glowered.

"Yesterday morning, sir," he answered stiffly and refused to look up. If only he was seventeen, then he could use his wand to escape.

"Why didn't they feed you later on?" Snape rummaged through a bag that had suddenly appeared and took out a lint and several clear bottles, with each a colorful substance in it.

"They forgot." Harry shrugged, but eyed the bottles warily. What was Snape planning?

"How could they forget to feed their own nephew?" Snape raised an eyebrow.

"Don't have a clue. I only know that they left me alone in my room, without disturbing. Worked for me." Harry didn't dare to relax. One second not paying attention would let him reveal more than he was willing to.

"What was the reason for the fight earlier?"

"What has that question to do with the examination?"

"I'm not only examining your body health, but also your mental health," Snape answered, looking for clues on Harry's face to see how badly those Muggles had treated him. Of course, he had seen everything in those Muggles' mind, but he wanted to know how Harry felt about that. He could use Legilimency, but Harry would notice it – even with his minimal expertise on that subject – and Snape wanted Harry to trust him; even if it was little trust.

"I'm not crazy! My mental health is perfectly fine," Harry breezed insulted.

Snape rolled his eyes. "I'm not saying you're crazy. But often, when a child is neglected, they tend to have some psychological problems."

"Well, I'm fine. No need to worry about my mental health," Harry said annoyed and unnerved. Snape had never been this friendly to him. Why was this so important?

"Now, answer my question. Why were you fighting?" Snape repeated his question.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Duddykins had broken his month – old cell phone when he sat on it with his huge, fat arse. Naturally, he blamed me and I defended myself. That's it."

"They always blame you if something happens?"

 _First the height and the weight, then I can decide which potion he needs the most now,_ Snape thought.

Harry snorted. "It's clear that you're Draco's godfather. You're asking the same questions."

Snape was momentarily distracted. "How did you know I am Draco's godfather?"

"He told me."

"I see. Now, answer me."

"It's either me or the government," Harry answered bored.

"Hmm. Stand up, if you will," Snape said and let the lint take the height of Harry; 5'6 1/4".

 _Hm, not really tall for a boy of his age,_ Snape thought.

"Stand still; I need to weigh you," Snape said out loud.

"Do you really need to?" Harry asked, slightly panicking.

Snape raised his eyebrow. "Potter, do we really need to go through this every time I want to examine you? Yes, it's necessary. Now, hold still."

Harry sighed and bit nervously on his lip, but complied.

Snape flicked his wand and muttered a spell under his breath. After five seconds he frowned when he saw the weight appear next to Harry.

 _101,41 pounds,_ he mused. _This is not good. He's severely underweight. How he manages not to collapse is a mystery to me._

"Are you aware of your low weight, Potter?" Snape asked, his tone soft but dangerous. He was furious at the Muggles for not caring properly about their nephew and at Dumbledore for not investigating that family better.

Harry gulped. "Eh, well, I know I'm not fat, but well, I don't think I'm too underweight."

"101,41 pounds by a length of 5'6 1/4". That's not too underweight for you?" Snape raised both eyebrows and tucked his wand away.

"It's not like I own a pair of scales," Harry muttered defensively.

"It seems as if Lucius was right; you do need nutrition potions. And by the looks of it, you also need potions that will help you gain some weight," Snape said. "I need a sample of your blood. Do you have any objections against it?"

Harry licked his lips. "Eh, why do you need a blood sample, sir?"

"To know which nutrition's you are lacking. Taking the blood sample is completely painless, I assure you," Snape replied, wondering if maybe Harry had developed a phobia of giving blood samples because of his fourth year.

"All right." Harry nodded his consent and fixed his stare on the carpeted floor.

Snape nodded once and tapped with his wand on Harry's left arm – deliberately avoiding his right arm for fear of triggering some nasty memories.

Harry couldn't help but watch fascinated as a small stream of blood rose out of his arm (completely painless, just like Snape had said) into a small vial that had appeared in Snape's hand.

Once the blood was in the vial, Snape conjured a cork to close the vial and tucked it carefully away in one of his pockets.

"When I have examined your blood, it will take three hours to create a nutrition potion. Normally, if all goes well, you'll have the potion by the end of the day tomorrow," Snape said, writing things down on a list. "Tonight, after dinner, you will take your first batch of the potion that will make you gain weight. Understood?"

"Yes sir," Harry nodded, already dreading the moment he had to take the potions. He hated those vile, disgusting potions.

Snape wrote more things down and when after five minutes, he hadn't done or said something else, Harry decided it was time to go. He walked to the door and just when he pushed the door knob down, Snape's smooth voice spoke up.

"And where do you think you are going to, Mister Potter?" he asked and turned around to face Harry, who stood frozen.

Harry let the knob go with a sigh. "I thought that we were done here, sir."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but that isn't the case. Return to your seat," Snape ordered, but unlike all the other times, he didn't sound angry now.

Harry noticed with surprise that Snape's voice was almost friendly and he wasn't glaring. Confused with this change, Harry sat down without protesting.

Snape looked satisfied and conjured another chair to sit in front of Harry. He sat down and clasped his hands together.

"Earlier, when I used Legilimency on those Muggles, I saw the extent of your abuse," he started.

"Why did you use that on them?" Harry asked, and wondered how he would talk himself out of this. If Snape had indeed used Legilimency, then he knew everything now. Harry had no more secrets. This realization increased both his fear and nervousness. His hands felt clammy when he thought about what Snape would do. Snape would probably laugh at him. Because, really, what self – respecting wizard would let himself be treated like the Dursleys treated him? This wasn't good. What did he have to do now?

"I wanted to know what those Muggles exactly did to you," Snape answered, not aware of Harry's panic.

When he heard that, Harry was completely panicking. He didn't want to hear more. His eyes searched frantically for an escape route, not aware that he was almost hyperventilating. He needed to get away now!

He startled when a warm hand took him by his chin and forced his face away from the door. Harry began to struggle against the hold.

"Potter, calm down. Hush now. You need to calm down, Harry. I'm not going to laugh or humiliate you. Hush now, Harry," Snape soothed, correctly guessing the reason of Harry's distress, but not registering the fact that he had used Harry's first name.

Harry, however, did and that made him focus on the soft voice.

"Good, take a slow deep breath. Breathe in and out," Snape instructed, when he saw Harry's eyes focusing on him. He still hadn't let Harry go.

Harry did as instructed and slowly calmed down. His face turned red when he noticed that Snape hadn't let go of his face. If he wasn't embarrassed about his episode earlier, then he was it definitely now.

"Better now?" Snape asked softly and unconsciously stroked Harry's cheek with his thumb.

Harry nodded, but didn't dare to look Snape in the face. Why did he have to panic now in front of Snape? And since when was Snape comforting him? Too many difficult questions, Harry decided when he felt a headache coming up.

"I'm sorry," he muttered and wringed his hands together.

Snape sighed softly and closed his hands over Harry's. "For what?"

"For… for panicking like that. For acting like a child," Harry whispered ashamed.

"Harry, you didn't act like a child and you don't have to apologize for panicking. It's normal for someone in your situation. Do you think you can tell me what the Dursleys did?" Snape asked, slowly letting Harry's hands go.

Harry bit on his lip. Could he? To be honest, he really didn't want to talk about the Dursleys now. This afternoon had been one of the best so far. He didn't want to spoil that great feeling with talking about his family.

"Or we can wait with talking, until you're ready for it," Snape suggested, sensing Harry's turmoil.

Harry nodded relieved.

"Promise me you will talk to someone about your relatives. It can be Lupin, your mutt or even…" Snape hesitated for a second, but then thought, _well, screw it, I'm already calling him Harry._ "Me," he finished.

Harry looked up surprised. 'You, sir?"

"Yes, I think I can… relate to your situation, so to speak," Snape answered carefully.

"Oh, okay."

Snape stood up and let the chair disappear. "You are free to go now."

"Thank you," Harry smiled and stood up. He walked to the door, but stopped in the middle of the room. "Sir, may I ask something?"

"Be my guest," Snape drawled.

"Did you know my mother had appointed you as one of my guardians?" Harry asked carefully.

"No. It came as a surprise actually. And apparently, your father didn't know it either. I don't believe I've ever seen his face so outraged," Snape smirked.

Unwillingly, Harry chuckled softly. Then he gathered his courage and asked, "Would you have taking me in, if I wasn't sent to the Dursleys?" He waited with his breath hold in.

Snape looked surprised for a moment and then answered, "Well, I think…"

But he was interrupted by a shout.

"YOU MISERABLE FERRET!"

Harry and Snape looked at each other and then both opened the door to see what was happening outside.

* * *

After Harry had disappeared into the room, Draco had spent his time looking around in the hallway. Besides the room where Harry was, there were four other rooms, all with their doors closed. The only light in the hallway come from a few candles on the wall.

On the floor, there laid what had once been a beautiful black and blue carpet with the Black crest stitched on in gold, but now it was covered in dust and grime. The walls weren't any better. It was hard to say if the walls had been black to begin with or if the filth covered it up.

Draco startled a little when suddenly, the furthest door at the end of the hallway opened with a cracking sound. A pale thing with white hair coming out of his ears was mumbling softly without once looking up. When the thing was just a few feet away of Draco, he saw that it was a house elf. It looked very old and sounded crazy, Draco noticed and couldn't help but wonder why his cousin hadn't sent the lunatic elf away. It was not as if the elf cleaned the house or did anything in it, anyway, judging by the poor state of the house.

Draco raised an eyebrow when he heard what the house elf was mumbling.

"Filthy Mudblood. Why does she think that she's welcome here? Oh, my poor mistress. Not only is her son a worthless boy and a disappointment to the whole family, but now she has to share her noble house with those Halfbloods and that little Mudblood girl. Oh, the shame," the house elf muttered, seemingly not aware of Draco.

 _Wait a minute,_ Draco thought. The house elf was still muttering, but now he was also looking in a closet against the corner. _That house elf said something about a Mudblood. Did he mean that Granger is here too? What is she doing here?,_ he wondered. _Doesn't she have to spend her holidays with her parents?_

His hands briefly touched the scraps of parchment with the Floo addresses on it. Scowling, he looked at the scraps and once again, cursed the fact that he wasn't allowed to use magic in the holidays. When he met the person who had invented that stupid law, he would make sure that person regretted ever making that law.

Meanwhile, he was stuck with the parchments until he found a fire. Sulking, he glared at the opposite wall.

"Oh, how will the mistress react when she hears that the worthless master is free? Oh, the shame," the insane elf continued to mutter.

Draco's head shot up when an idea struck him. His mother was a Black; this house elf belonged to the Blacks, so the elf would listen to anyone with Black blood. Draco himself was half Malfoy, half Black. It was a long shot, but maybe he could give the elf an order too. It was worth a shot.

"House elf," Draco said and snapped his fingers to get the elf's attention.

The old elf looked up and his big eyes almost fell out of their sockets when he saw Draco.

"Young Master Malfoy called Kreacher? What can Kreacher do for honorable Master Malfoy, sir?" the elf croaked.

"Destroy these parchments, please," Draco ordered and gave Kreacher the scraps.

Kreacher bowed so deep that his large nose almost touched the filthy ground and mumbled, "Of course, young Master Malfoy, Kreacher will destroy these immediately." And with a short snap of his fingers, the scraps of parchments were engulfed in flames, burning up until there was nothing more than ash left.

"Can Kreacher do something else for young Master, sir?" the elf asked, almost eagerly.

"No, Kreacher, that's enough," Draco replied, immensely pleased that the scraps with the Floo addresses were gone. He briefly wondered if Harry had wanted to go out with one of those girls, but dismissed the thought. If Harry had wanted one of those girls, he would have looked more excited and he would have remembered to take the Floo addresses with him. Considering this hadn't been the case, Draco hadn't done anything wrong.

Kreacher nodded and disappeared behind a corner, still mumbling about the blood traitors in his 'poor' mistress' house.

Draco shook his head and watched the door again. He hoped that Harry was fine. He wasn't sure that it was a good idea to put Harry and his godfather in one room without supervision. Although they had apparently no problems so far, seeing as Draco hadn't heard anyone yelling. Maybe they could finally put whatever problem they had with each other aside and be civil towards each other. _That would be nice,_ Draco thought smiling.

He tensed when he heard the voices of Granger and Weasley coming towards him.

 _Great, this is just what I need,_ Draco thought sarcastically. _A confrontation with Harry's friends without Harry there to act like a peace maker. It will be interesting to see how this will play out._

"Where do you think Sirius and Lupin went to today? They seemed, I don't know, happy?" Weasley asked.

"Yes, I noticed that too. I wonder if it has something to do with Harry," Granger mused.

Their footsteps sounded louder and were definitely coming towards Draco.

"Well, we won't know it until Harry arrives and that won't be for another three weeks probably," Weasley replied.

"Do you think Harry will be okay, living with the Dursleys?" Granger asked concerned.

"Harry's fine. You know that nothing will happen to him. Dumbledore will know it if anything happens to him," Weasley said nonchalantly.

Draco snorted lightly; he couldn't believe how naïve they were. Well, at least Harry wasn't so naïve.

"What the… Malfoy, what the hell are you doing here? How did you get in? This place is warded," Weasley spat out angrily.

Draco sighed and looked up to see Weasley and Granger standing a few feet away from him.

"I'm waiting for Harry and as for how I got in… Well, this house has a door, so naturally, I used the door to get in," Draco drawled sarcastically.

"Why are you waiting for Harry? If you're going to hurt him, I swear, Malfoy, you're going to…" Weasley began to threaten him.

"I'm waiting for Harry, because we're friends now. Why would I want to hurt my friend?" Draco asked rhetorically.

"You two are friends? Since when? Why didn't Harry inform us?" Granger asked, looking hurt.

"WHAT! Friends?" Weasley sputtered.

"When would he have had the time? He was busy all day. Besides, he doesn't have to inform you of everything that happens to him. You're not his mother, Granger." Draco shuddered at that thought. "Thank Merlin for that."

"We're his friends, Malfoy. We look out for each other," Granger bit back.

 _If you're really his friends, then why didn't you make more of an effort to help him?,_ Draco thought snidely, but refrained from speaking that thought out loud. He had promised Harry that he would make an effort to be civil to his friends. Although they were making it difficult for him to remain polite.

"Why would you be friends with Harry, all of the sudden? What's in it for you, ferret?" Weasley asked suspiciously. His face began to turn slightly red.

Draco sighed impatiently. "Because being associated with Harry will be good for the Malfoy name. Satisfied?" he asked sarcastically.

"HA! I knew it! You don't care for Harry! You're just using him! Get out of here before I do some severe damage to your face, ferret!" Weasley snapped, but still looked triumphantly.

 _For the love of… How can Harry stand being around that dimwit?,_ Draco thought irritated. "For your information, Weasel, I was using sarcasm when I answered that idiotic question of yours. But I suppose you wouldn't recognize that with that shrunken brain of yours," Draco drawled. "It's amazing you've reached the fifth year. But I assume it's only because you have Granger helping you of course. Left on your own, you probably wouldn't even have reached the third year."

Weasley was positively fuming now. His face was even redder that his hair now. A feat that impressed Draco. "YOU MISERABLE FERRET!"

"What's going on here?" Harry opened the door and was surprised to see Ron and Hermione standing next to Draco. "Hey guys."

"Harry! What are you doing here?" Ron asked surprised.

 _Is he always that slow?,_ Draco thought, rolling his eyes.

"Sirius has now the custody over me," Harry answered smiling and stepped out of the room so that he stood next to Draco.

"What! You mean, you don't have to go back to the Dursleys?" Ron asked.

"Yes, it's fantastic, isn't it?" Harry replied happily.

"But what about the protection Dumbledore told you about? How did Sirius get the custody? I mean, he's still on the run," Hermione asked confused and frustrated because for once she didn't immediately know the answer.

"No, he isn't. We went to the Ministry today and with the help of Lucius, he was declared free. I still have to thank Lucius for that," Harry mused.

"Why would you want to thank a Death Eater?" Ron asked disgusted.

"Ron, Lucius isn't a Death Eater anymore. He doesn't work for Voldemort anymore," Harry huffed.

"And what if it's a trick? Maybe he's just waiting for a chance to kidnap you and take you to You-Know-Who!" Ron hissed, after recovering from a wince of hearing the name Voldemort.

"It's not a trick, Ron. He's been with me all afternoon and he didn't once attempt to hurt me," Harry replied, starting to feel annoyed. "That reminds me, Draco, although I hate to say and to admit it, thank you for helping me with the shopping," Harry smiled, a faint blush on his cheekbones.

Draco smiled back, feeling pleased that he had made Harry happy. "You don't have to thank me."

Only then did Ron and Hermione notice that their friend wasn't wearing oversized clothes anymore, but rather a nice blue shirt and blue jeans that didn't drown his body or hide it. And he wasn't wearing his glasses either!

"Harry, your glasses are gone!" Hermione cried out surprised.

"You're wearing new clothes!" Ron yelled, his blue eyes nearly popping out of his head.

"Your powers of observation astound me," Draco drawled and clapped in his hands.

Harry slapped his hands lightly. "Be nice, Draco," Harry chided, laughter shining in his eyes.

Draco clucked his tongue. "I'll try, but I can't promise anything."

Harry rolled his eyes, but a smile was tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Why are you so friendly with Malfoy?" Ron asked suspiciously.

"Because we're friends now," Harry answered slowly.

"Why would you want to be friends with the ferret?" Ron asked with disgust in his voice.

"Don't call him that, Ron. His name is Draco," Harry said disapproving. "Besides, if you get to know him, then you'll know he's a really good guy."

"Merlin, Harry, do you hear yourself talking? The Harry I know would never even consider being friends with that Death Eater wannabe," Ron said in an accusing tone.

Harry was starting to feel really pissed off now. Why did Ron have to be so difficult? "Would you stop calling him that! He isn't a Death Eater and he will never be one!" Harry's voice rose a bit. Then he asked uncertainly, "That's true, isn't it, Draco?"

"Of course. I have no desire to bow for such a crazy lunatic," Draco scoffed. "Malfoys don't bow to anybody."

"Seems like your father had other thoughts about that, didn't he, Malfoy?" Ron sneered.

"Leave my father out of this, Weasel!" Draco snapped, his hands forming fists.

"Oh, have I touched a nerve, ferret face?" Ron taunted.

"Ron! You're going too far! Apologize to Draco!" Harry yelled angrily.

"I'm not going to apologize to him!" Ron yelled angrily back, spit flying out of his mouth. His face was turning red again. "Are you crazy?"

"He must be, seeing as he has chosen you as his best friend. Then again, he has just chosen me as his friend, so he can't be that crazy," Draco mused, trying to reign in his anger as to avoid having his magic lashing out. It wouldn't be bad if his magic hurt the Weasel, but Harry was standing too close and he didn't want to hurt his soon – to – be boyfriend.

"Bastard! I'm going to… I'm going to…" Ron spluttered, not able to end his threat because he was too angry.

"What? You're going to run to your mummy? Complaining that big bad Malfoy had been a meanie to you?" Draco taunted.

Harry took his arm, but didn't say anything.

"At least I still have a mum! Yours ran away at the beginning of the summer! Guess she was finally tired of you!" Ron sneered.

Draco bit on his tongue and averted his eyes, for once not having a comeback. That last comment stung. He didn't care much about his mother, but still…

Harry began trembling from rage. "That was low, Ronald. Really low. How could you say such a thing? Aren't you ashamed of yourself?" Harry hissed.

"Harry!" Hermione gasped surprised.

"Don't 'Harry' me! Ron went out of line. Apologize to Draco immediately," Harry ordered.

"Harry, don't bother," Draco soothed, but was happy that Harry was defending him in front of his friends. Now if only he wouldn't have to be worried that Harry's magic would destroy the hallway…

"No, Draco, Ron went too far. Apologize now!" Harry hissed, his green eyes shining with rage.

"I won't ever apologize to that arsehole! I didn't go too far, I just stated a fact," Ron growled, his head nearly purple.

"You're just stating a fact?" Harry repeated incredulously. "You were attacking Draco with his mother. That's what I call going too far. You don't hurt people using their family. Tell me, when you'll be angry at me in the future, will you use my mother too to insult me?" Harry spat, his magic beginning to crackle.

For a minute, there was nothing than silence.

Hermione's lip was trembling and she was nervously wringing her hands together, obviously not knowing how to handle this situation.

Ron was now pale. "Of course not, Harry, you're my friend. There's a difference between your mother and his," he tried to explain.

"I don't see the difference. We both lost our mums. True, Draco's mum is still alive, but there is no other difference. Now apologize," Harry ordered again, still furious.

"I won't. Why are you insisting I apologize to him?" Ron asked, his temper flaring up again.

"Because he's my bloody friend and he didn't deserve that low comment!" Harry yelled.

Before Ron could react, two things happened: a vase exploded a few feet behind Draco and two loud BOOM's could be heard, a floor beneath them.

"That came from our rooms, 'Mione! Let's go!" Ron yelled and dashed off the stairs, Hermione running behind him.

"What was that?" Harry asked surprised, breathing hard from his magic's out lash.

"That would have been us – "

"Creating a diversion to help you out,"

"Little brother of us," two voices spoke behind them.

* * *

A few minutes earlier, in the kitchen.

Sirius looked up to the ceiling when he heard the yelling. "It looks like Ron has discovered Draco." He winced when he suddenly heard Harry yelling. "I thought that Snape was examining him." He relaxed when the yelling stopped. "Well, that went better than expected. I had assumed that there would be longer yelling."

Just then, they heard Harry and Ron yelling again.

"Maybe we ought to check before things get out of hand. Come on, Padfoot," Remus suggested and stood up. "I'm surprised that Molly hasn't yet interfered," he muttered.

Before the two men could get out of the kitchen, two POP's sounded and they turned around to face Fred and George, who were grinning like Cheshire Cats.

"Well, well, brother. It seems as if we're having a déjà vu."

"If you're referring to the fact that once again, we hear the lovely voice of our little brother slash partner in crime aka Harry Potter, then yes, you're right," one of the two, probably George, replied.

"Partner in crime?" Remus mouthed to Sirius.

Sirius shrugged.

"Now, may we inquire as to why –"

"Our lovely brother is yelling and at whom?" Fred finished the question.

"We think he's yelling at Ron because Ron has find out about Harry's friendship with Draco Malfoy," Remus explained.

"Harry is now friends with Malfoy?" Fred asked surprised.

"Now that is fascinating," George concluded, tapping a finger to his chin.

At once, the same glitter appeared in both the twins' eyes.

Remus, who got suspicious at seeing that look, started to ask, "What are you two…", but was interrupted by Lucius who walked into the kitchen.

"Why are Harry and that Weasley shouting at each other? And why is nobody interfering?" Lucius asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, Remus and I were just going to…" Sirius began, but was interrupted by the twins.

"Oh no, leave the interfering over to us," Fred grinned.

"Yes, please sit down. We will take it upon us to see – "

"How our little brother, our dear Ronniekins, is screwing up this time," Fred finished and with a cat like grin, the twins disappeared with a CRACK.

"What do you think they meant with 'partner in crime'?" Sirius asked curiously and sat down at the table again.

Remus sighed and sat down too. "I don't know. Now, I'm more concerned with what they're planning to do."

He was answered by two loud BOOM's and more yelling.

Remus sighed. "Well, that answers my question."

Sirius chuckled.

* * *

Meanwhile, back upstairs…

Harry turned around to see Fred and George grinning.

"Have you two by any chance something to do with those explosions we've just heard?" he asked amused.

"Why, of course, dear Harry," George began.

"We've decided that we would help you out."

"After all, we don't want this house destroyed,"

"Just because Ronniekins decided to be an arse," Fred finished the sentence;

"Thanks guys, for your help," Harry said gratefully.

George waved his hand. "No need to thank us, Harry."

"It was our pleasure." Fred turned to Draco. "Well, I suppose we have to be friendly to you now,"

"Seeing as you're Harry's friend now too. And Harry's friends –"

"Are our friends." The twins clapped Draco on his back. "See you around, Draco!" They waved and disappeared again with a CRACK.

Draco blinked. "Well, that was interesting."

Harry chuckled. "Yes, well, that are the twins for you."

Suddenly, Snape appeared in the doorway and with a wave of his wand, the vase was repaired. "It's nearly dinnertime. Why don't you two go to the kitchen while I lay the last hand on that potion for you, Potter?" Snape suggested.

"Yes, of course, sir. Sorry for disturbing you," Harry said hastily.

"It's not your fault Mister Weasley decided to act like a child. Now off you go." Snape turned around and closed the door.

"What happened when you were in the room?" Draco questioned when he and Harry made their way to the kitchen.

Harry told him everything, but left out his little panic attack. Draco didn't need to know that. Neither one of the boys noticed that Harry still hold Draco's arm tightly in his grip.


	8. Sleeping arrangements and nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Mollybashing, slight Ginnybashing and fluff
> 
> Also it could be that starting tomorrow the updates won't be daily anymore. College starts tomorrow, so I'll have less time. Regardless I'll try to keep up my regular updating schedule
> 
> Also funny thing I noticed - this story always has just a few kudos and bookmarks less than Will you be my daddy? XD
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 8: Sleeping arrangements and nightmares**

Sirius looked up when he saw his godson and Draco stepping into the kitchen. He waited until the two boys had sat down before him and then asked, "How did it go?"

"What? The talk with Snape or the yelling at Ron?" Harry asked.

"Let's start with the talk with Snape, shall we?" Sirius suggested smiling.

Harry shrugged. "It was okay, I guess. I have to take potions that'll make me gain weight and I also have to take some nutrition potions."

"Hm. When will you take your first potion?" Sirius asked.

"Tonight, after dinner. I have to take that gain weight potion," Harry mumbled, not happy with that fact.

"I don't think it's called like that, Harry," Draco said amused.

"Who cares?" Harry shrugged.

Sirius hesitated, but asked, "And how did it go with Ron and Hermione?"

Harry sighed and ranked a hand through his hair. "It went as well as could be expected, I suppose."

Draco looked guilty. "I'm sorry you'd a fight with Weasley because of me."

"Don't apologize, it doesn't suit you," Harry replied amused. "But no, seriously, you don't have to blame yourself. It's not your fault Ron was an arse. It doesn't surprise me actually."

"Yeah, but still…" Draco mumbled.

"Draco, do you know where Severus is?" Lucius asked and stood up.

"Third floor, second room," Draco replied. "Why?" he asked and then noticed that his father already went upstairs.

"Sirius, do you mind if Draco and I go flying in the garden tomorrow?" Harry asked his godfather.

"Not at all. As long as you don't fly too high, I don't have a problem with that," Sirius smiled. "Are you sleeping here tonight, Draco?"

Just then the fireplace flared and two ginger head women stepped into the kitchen. They both had shopping bags in their hands.

"Ginny, you can place those bags on the kitchen counter," Mrs. Weasley directed her youngest child.

Ginny nodded, turned around, saw Harry and squealed – after dumping the bags on the table. "Harry! I didn't know you would arrive today!"

In just six steps she had crossed the kitchen and she threw her arms around him, not noticing Draco's presence or his sneer at her.

Awkwardly, Harry patted her on the back and tried not to sneeze from the perfume in his noise.

_Dear Merlin, since when does she wear perfume?,_ he thought.

"How come you already arrived here? I thought that Dumbledore," Sirius, Remus and Draco tensed upon hearing the name, while Harry's eyes turned a shade darker. "had said you had to live with your aunt and uncle until your birthday had passed," Ginny said confused, finally releasing Harry, who immediately gulped for some fresh air. "Was there a change of plans?"

"Not really. Sirius, Remus, Snape, Lucius and Draco came to pick me up and now Sirius has the custody over me," Harry replied, still getting used to the idea of never going back to the… "Holy shit! I never have to go to the Dursleys again!" he exclaimed.

"It has finally registered in his mind," Sirius grinned at Remus. Remus hushed him, but smiled.

Ginny ignored Harry's exclamation in favor of staring at Draco.

"Malfoy, what are you doing here?" she asked disgusted.

Draco sighed irritated. "Do we have to go through this every time we see a Weasley?" he asked Harry.

Harry chuckled. "I'm afraid so."

"Harry, what is he doing here?" Ginny asked, nearly whining.

"I'm keeping him company," Draco smiled strained and threw an arm around Harry's shoulders.

Harry looked at him surprised, but didn't shake off his arm. And he was still breathing evenly instead of holding his breath because there was too much perfume, Draco noticed smugly. Another thing that made him better suited for Harry than that Weaselette; excluding the fact that he was more gorgeous and definitely smarter.

_Take that, Weaselette,_ Draco thought in glee.

Ginny narrowed her eyes and started to say, "What do you think you're…" when she was interrupted by her mother.

"Harry, dear, I'm so glad to see you!" Mrs. Weasley gushed and pulled Harry in a motherly hug. She held him on arm length and studied him critically before her eyes widened and she gasped. "Merlin, Harry, you changed a lot these past few weeks! You wear new clothes and you don't wear your glasses anymore! Have the Dursleys finally taken you out for shopping?"

"No, not really, Sirius and Draco helped me with the shopping," Harry confessed.

"What! Why did Malfoy help you?" Ginny asked, eyeing Draco – and Draco's arm around Harry – warily. Although she had to admit the men did a great job, seeing as Harry looked even hotter than before.

"Because, eh, well, we're friends now," Harry replied carefully, not fancying another Weasley blow up. One was enough for today, thank you very much.

Ginny blinked. Then she laughed. "Very funny, Harry. Now seriously, what is Malfoy doing here?"

"Ginny, I'm not joking. Draco and I are really friends now," Harry repeated calmly.

"But, but you…" Ginny spluttered, her jaw nearly hitting the ground.

"Close your mouth, Miss Weasley, unless you want to permanently walk around like that. It certainly doesn't make you look prettier or smarter," Snape sneered, walking in the kitchen. He raised lightly an eyebrow when he saw how his godson sat next to Potter, but didn't comment on it. Sometimes it was better not knowing what Draco was up to.

Ginny closed her mouth and flushed bright red. She stalked out of the kitchen, after throwing both Snape and Draco a scowling look.

"Severus, that wasn't nice of you," Mrs. Weasley said in a disapproving tone.

"I simply warned your daughter of the risk she'll take if she lets her jaw hanging open like that," Snape drawled.

Draco and Sirius smirked and even Harry smiled lightly. Sirius had to admit that his school rival had one nasty sharp tongue if provoked. He didn't feel particularly sorry for the Weasley girl; sure, he liked Arthur, but his youngest children could really work on his nerves. He could already picture Ginny taking over the role of her mother as a meddling, over concerned, annoying wife. Sirius shuddered at that thought and swore to himself that if Harry decided to ask that girl out, he would ground his godson for two years and teach him how to choose the right partner (he wasn't sure whether Harry was straight, bi or gay. Harry himself probably didn't know it even. _Hm, maybe I ought to talk to him about that,_ Sirius thought and fiercely hoped that Harry had been given 'the talk' already. He didn't think he could handle telling his fifteen year old godson everything about the bees and the flowers. And if Harry hadn't had that talk, well, he would make Moony do it.). It certainly wasn't Ginny Weasley.

Molly sighed, but chose to not comment. Instead she asked, "Ah, Severus, are you eating here tonight too?" While busying herself with cooking dinner.

"Yes," Snape answered and took the seat next to Lucius, who had come back in the kitchen a minute ago.

"Really? Wonderful! It's so nice to have more people here!" Mrs. Weasley smiled, hiding her shock that Severus Snape stayed for dinner.

Snape sneered before turning to Lucius to talk about certain rare potion ingredients.

"I'm glad that Sirius took you shopping, Harry dear," Mrs. Weasley began, while directing the cut vegetables in the pan. "And I'm certainly glad you're here, but how did you manage to do that? Sirius, I hope you haven't done anything stupid or dangerous. You're still on the run – why did you think it was a good idea to go outside? People could have seen you! You could be arrested again!" she said disapprovingly.

"I'm not on the run anymore, Molly. I'm declared innocent," Sirius replied annoyed. That woman could really get on his nerves. Her constant meddling was nearly as annoying as Dumbledore's. How Arthur could live with that woman, Sirius would never understand.

"When did that happen?" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed shocked and almost dropped the can with Butterbeer she was levitating to the table. Her husband, Arthur, caught the can just in time and placed the jug on the wooden table.

"This afternoon. Lucius helped me get a fair trial and of course, it helped that my best friend and my favourite godson were willing to testify for me," Sirius grinned and reached out over the table to ruffle Harry's black hair.

"Hey, stop that! Besides, I'm your only godson!" Harry laughed.

"Thank Merlin for that. I have my hands full with you," Sirius laughed.

"I resent that!" Harry protested.

"Yes, Padfoot, it's more like the other way around," Remus chuckled.

"Hey! You're supposed to be siding with me!" Sirius whined and pouted.

"Now, now, Sirius, don't pout. If you turn into Padfoot, I'll give you a nice rub on your belly," Remus cooed and patted Sirius on the head.

Sirius growled. "Don't be surprised if you wake up tomorrow, covered in dog spit."

"You have a weird godfather," Draco whispered in Harry's ear, secretly inhaling Harry's scent; vanilla and raspberries. _Raspberry and vanilla are now officially my favorite food,_ Draco thought happily.

"And you have a scary godfather," Harry whispered back, grinning.

"You get used to it," Draco promised.

"Congratulations, Sirius, it was about time that you got your freedom back. I'm happy for you," Arthur said grinning and shook Sirius' hand.

"Thank you, Arthur," Sirius smiled.

"Yes, congratulations. I'm surprised Albus let you go to the Ministry. Or was he there to defend you too?" Molly asked and levitated the plates and glasses on the table.

"Not really," Sirius mumbled and pushed his glass from one hand to the other, ignoring Molly's stare – which was definitely burning holes into his head.

"What do you mean 'not really'?" Mrs. Weasley asked, a dangerous tone in her voice.

"Dumbledore doesn't know about the trial. Well, he didn't know about it a few hours ago. I suspect he will know about it now, though," Remus answered calmly.

"Why did you go if you didn't have his permission?" Molly narrowed her eyes and planted her hands on her hips.

Sirius' eyes were dancing with fire and he glared at Molly. "Maybe because I wanted to take care of Harry for real now. It's hard to take care of him if I couldn't even go outside, don't you think?"

"I still think it was irresponsible. Besides, you do know that Harry is supposed to go to his relatives next year again, don't you?" Molly sniffed.

"He's not going to those Muggles ever again, seeing as I have the custody over him now," Sirius said triumphantly, crossing his arms.

Harry and Draco were looking with wide eyes at Sirius and Mrs. Weasley. Harry had the dreading feeling that the upcoming dinner wouldn't be peaceful.

"What! You have the custody over Harry? Sirius, don't you think you're a little bit too… irresponsible for taking care of Harry? Besides, did you even consider Harry's feelings? Maybe he wants to live with his relatives. They are his real family anyway and they can provide him a stable life, something you can't do now," Mrs. Weasley said disapprovingly, not noticing the shocked silence that had fallen over the kitchen after her speech.

Sirius clenched his fists in rage, but was too hurt to react. Why couldn't that woman be happy for him? Why did she had to ruin it all?

Remus, seeing the hurt in his best friend's eyes, got angry; his inner wolf, Moony, demanding that he hurt the woman for hurting a member of his pack.

Barely restraining himself, he nearly growled, "Molly, that was really uncalled for. I don't think you have a say about Sirius' or Harry's lives."

"Mrs. Weasley, I want to live with Sirius. I don't want to go to the Dursleys again. Sirius can take care of me," Harry said annoyed. Why did she have to be so difficult?

"But Harry, I just don't think Sirius is the right person to take care of you," Mrs. Weasley protested, looking put out that Harry didn't agree with her.

"My parents chose Sirius to be my godfather. I think they knew what they were doing when they made that choice," Harry bit back. Normally he was polite to her, but it irked him that she was constantly putting Sirius down. She was even worse than Snape at that point – at least against Snape, Sirius stood a fair chance of defending himself and insulting the other.

"Oh yes, they made a good choice, indeed," Molly snorted. "He spent almost your whole life in prison. Good caretaker indeed."

"Do you think I enjoyed being in prison?! Do you think I enjoyed knowing it's my fault my best friends died and my godson was put away with Muggles?! Tell me, Molly, how was I supposed to take care of Harry when I was in prison?" Sirius sneered.

"I didn't say it was your fault, I only said that you wouldn't do a good job as caretaker. Harry needs someone he can depend on," Molly argued. "As a mother, I think I would know what best is for him."

Before Sirius could reply, Harry said, "I _can_ depend on Sirius and stop acting as my mother! You aren't," he hissed. He didn't know what came over him, but he was suddenly sick of Mrs. Weasley's condescending words and her assumption that she was a mother for him.

"But Harry!" Mrs. Weasley gasped and looked at him shocked. "You're like a son to me!"

"But I'm not your son! Stop insulting Sirius and stop meddling in our lives! I'm happy with Sirius as my caretaker and you don't have anything to say about that," Harry said coolly, but the touch of Draco's hand on his arm calmed him a bit.

"Young man, I'm appalled! You don't have the right to speak like that to me!" Mrs. Weasley said sternly.

"And you don't have the right to talk like that to Sirius!" Harry retorted sharply back.

For once, Mrs. Weasley was too shocked to say something back and she looked around the table, in search of help. Help that she didn't got.

"Don't look like that, woman. What did you expect? That they would let you insult them and be happy with your meddling? I thought you were smarter than that," Snape said suddenly sharply and he glared at her.

"Fine! I see how this looks like. If you find me that annoying, you can take care of your own food!" With that said, she stormed out of the kitchen and went upstairs.

"Thank Merlin she's gone. I was beginning to get a headache," Snape said annoyed.

"I'm going to check on her, see if I can calm her down," Arthur excused himself and stood up.

Instantly, Harry felt guilty. "I'm sorry I lashed out like that, Mister Weasley."

The man waved his apology away. "Don't be sorry. You only told the truth. Molly went too far this time. She really needs to learn to control herself." He sighed and went upstairs too.

"Thanks for sticking up for me, Harry," Sirius said, smiling gratefully.

"It's nothing," Harry smiled back.

"Wow, Harry, you didn't only pick a fight with Weasley, but also with his mother! And that all in one hour. I'm so proud of you," Draco smirked.

"That's all your fault. You have a bad influence on me," Harry said smiling.

"Thank you," Draco said cheerfully.

"That was not a compliment, git," Harry rolled his eyes.

"I take that as a compliment," Draco replied, looking serious.

"You're a hopeless, vain, arrogant git, did you know that?" Harry said amused.

"But you love me all the same," Draco winked.

"Must be your Malfoy charm," Harry answered dryly.

"I knew even you couldn't resist my charm."

Harry rolled his eyes again, but didn't bother to reply. Instead, he stood up and went to check on the pans with their dinner in it. "We're lucky. We only have to wait a few more minutes before our dinner is ready."

"Thank Merlin for that," Sirius groaned. "Ah, and thank you, Moony, for sticking up for me too."

Remus smiled. "No problem. That's were friends are for."

Two POP's were heard in the hallway and the twins walked in.

"Why is our mother screaming that the convict will make sure that,"

"Dear Harry's life will be ruined and that he will be a bachelor for life without a decent future?" George completed the question.

"What does me living with Sirius have anything to do with the fact if I'll marry or not?" Harry asked confused.

"Your mother found it necessary to meddle in the affairs of Sirius and Harry and found out the hard way that that wasn't welcomed," Remus answered dryly. Moony was still providing him with livid mental images of what he wanted to do to that meddling old woman and Remus decided there and then that with the next full moon, he would be staying in a place where Molly wouldn't come. He wasn't sure if he could restrain Moony if he smelled her nearby. Moony growled at hearing his decision, but didn't back down from delivering the gruesome images.

"Typical," Fred muttered and sat down next to Draco.

"How come Ron and Hermione didn't come down?" Harry asked and stirred the vegetables, consisting of carrots and onion.

"Because they still have trouble in their rooms," George grinned.

"How long does it last?" Harry asked amused, already knowing the twins' expertise concerning practical jokes.

"An hour. Then they can begin repairing and cleaning. Before that is useless," Fred laughed.

"Hermione is going to kill you if her books are destroyed." Harry shook his head.

"She has to catch us first," George grinned.

"That reminds me; what did you mean with Harry being your partner in crime?" Remus asked curiously.

The twins looked guilty and sent Harry an apologetic look.

"It's okay. You can tell them," Harry said. "But first help me move these pans; dinner is ready."

"With pleasure," Fred and George chimed in unison and then proceeded to levitate the pans to the table.

When Harry took his seat again next to Draco, he noticed that his plate was already full loaded.

"I'm perfectly capable of getting my own food, thank you," Harry said dryly.

Snape looked up from his plate. "Don't complain and start eating. And don't dare to stop before everything on your plate is gone, understood?"

"Yes, understood." Harry nodded and hastily started eating.

Draco received a kick to his leg when he dared to chuckle.

"Well, anyway, Harry is the reason why we are able to create our wonderful merchandise. We, poor souls, were forced by Harry to take his prize money of the Tournament," Fred said dramatically.

"We tried to refuse, but he threatened us. Threatened us, could you believe that? Us, who are two years older than him! He has no respect for elders, let me tell you that!" George finished.

"I already knew of his disrespect. You don't need to tell us that," Snape snorted.

"Hey, I have respect for elders!" Harry defended himself.

Snape raised a thin black eyebrow. "Really? Is this why you're always sneaking around at night, getting into trouble?"

Sirius waved impatiently his hand. "Who cares about that? I'm more interested in what the twins are going to do with their merchandise."

"At the moment we're working on setting up our first shop in Diagon Ally," George proudly answered. "Because our order business goes so well, we decided to take the risk to open a shop."

"And it's all thanks to you, Harry, that we're able to do that," Fred grinned and clapped Harry on his shoulder.

Harry smiled. "Think nothing of it. We can all use a laugh now and then."

"And laughing is what you're going to get, we promise you that," George laughed.

* * *

After they were done eating, they cast a preserve and a warming charm on the leftovers for the five people who hadn't made it to dinner.

They all settled themselves in the now clean and Dark artifacts free living room. Snape and Lucius settled themselves in the big armchairs; Remus was looking at the various books in the two bookcases; the twins had disappeared to their apartment in Diagon Ally and Sirius, Harry and Draco had squeezed themselves on one sofa, nearby the fire.

"So, Lucius, Draco… Snape," Sirius added as an afterthought. "Are you staying over tonight?"

"Lucius and I have no desire to get interrogated by Albus, so we decided to stay here and enjoy your hospitality," Snape answered and crossed his arms. Sirius decided to let the sarcastic remark go – for now.

"You don't have a problem with that, do you, Draco?" Lucius asked, his grey eyes glittering with strange amusement.

"No, not at all. I just have to alert Pansy I won't go back to Hogwarts," Draco answered.

"I didn't know she was staying at Hogwarts as well," Harry said surprised.

"Yes, along with Blaise, Nott and some others."

"You can use the fireplace in the kitchen. That's connected to Hogwarts in general," Sirius offered.

Draco nodded and went to the kitchen, mentally preparing himself for the endless – and irritating – questioning that would undoubtedly follow when he told Pansy he wouldn't come back. Draco had never understood how someone so dimwitted as Pansy had ended up in Slytherin. And just like he had predicted, Pansy didn't let him go for a few minutes without questioning him and pouting because he had told her that Harry and he were now friends. He gave her the order to tell the news to the others staying in Slytherin; he didn't want Harry attacked when he introduced him properly – after all, if all went well, Harry would soon be a Slytherin too.

* * *

A few seconds after Draco's departure, Ron and Hermione walked in. They both looked disheveled and their clothes were dirty from the dust.

Lucius scrunched his noise a little when he saw the dirt on the two teenagers. Really, how Harry could stand those two, he would never understand. Thank Merlin that his son had decided to offer Harry another chance for friendship. It would do Harry well to finally associate with people who were of his standard.

The duo stiffened at the same time when they noticed Snape and Lucius sitting comfortably in the chairs.

"Good evening." Lucius nodded politely. Even if they were of lower standards, he was still required to be polite.

Ron ignored him and turned to Harry. "So, Malfoy is still here."

_Yes, the Weasley boy is definitely not worth my time,_ Lucius thought.

Harry nodded coolly, still mad at the things Ron had said. "Yes, and they're staying the night here too."

Ron's mouth fell open and he spluttered: "But… what… why…"

_Yes, no decency, no manners and definitely not eloquent,_ Lucius thought slightly annoyed and briefly wondered if he was required to be polite to Harry's friends. He figured that as long as he didn't say anything too offense, he wouldn't insult Harry too much.

Snape, meanwhile, was interested in seeing how this little argument would develop. For the first time in five years, Potter had stood up against the Weasley boy and for defending their stay nonetheless. He couldn't wait to see how this would work out. He sat back and watched in hidden glee how Weasley would get once more on Potter's bad side.

"But Harry, where will Malfoy sleep?" Hermione asked carefully, still not understanding why Harry was suddenly so keen on defending Malfoy. _Or did Malfoy use a spell on Harry?,_ Hermione wondered concerned. _Well, the younger one couldn't, seeing as we're not allowed to use magic outside of school, but Lucius Malfoy doesn't have that restriction._ She gasped silently. What if the Malfoys used a spell on Harry that would make sure that Harry would defend them? It all made perfectly sense! With Harry's support – the Boy-Who-Lived – nobody would dare to stop them from getting what they wanted. _This is bad! But why didn't professor Lupin notice the strange behaviour of Harry? He must know that Harry wouldn't defend the Malfoys, not even if his life depended on it. I must keep an eye on Harry while I look up the curse they used and the counter curse to it. I just hope that they won't attempt something horrible._

"In my room," Harry answered calmly, not aware of the four adults watching silently.

"Wait a minute! You mean the room where you and I sleep?" Ron asked outraged.

Harry nodded, his body tensing up, preparing for a possible fight.

"I refuse to sleep in the same room as him! What if he tries to do something to us in our sleep?" Ron argued.

_Here we go,_ Harry thought tiredly. _Another argument. The second one in only three hours. I'm setting a record here._

"Be assured that I won't harm you, Weasel. Harming you would require touching you and that thought on itself is revolting enough," Draco's voice drawled.

"Do you think I want to be touched by you?" Ron asked horrified.

Draco walked past him and sat next Harry again. "I don't know your preferences, Weasel, but I don't have any desire to touch you."

"Damn right you don't!" Ron retorted hotly. Then he frowned. "Hey, were you insulting me again?"

Draco ignored him in favour of asking Harry a question. "Now, what were you talking about before I came in?"

"Sleeping arrangements," Harry replied.

"That's why Weasel is so pissed right now?" Draco quirked a blond eyebrow.

"I told him you'll sleep in the same room as him and I," Harry answered.

"And now he thinks I'll attack him," Draco said amused.

"Yeah," Harry answered bored.

"I think that, because it's true! I don't trust you! I'm sure Harry understands that," Ron said, glaring at Draco.

"You're right, Ron. It was a bad idea to put Draco in our room," Harry said calmly.

"Yes! You see, Malfoy, Harry agrees with me! Guess he doesn't trust you enough as you think he does – and with reason, I might add," Ron cried out in triumph.

Only Snape and Lucius saw the brief flash of hurt in Draco's eyes, before the Malfoy mask was put on. Both were left wondering why Draco cared so much about Harry's opinion of him.

"Instead of letting Draco sleep in our room, Draco and I will move into another room. What do you think of it, Draco?" Harry turned to the blond boy sitting next to him.

Draco smiled – inside he was jumping up and down while shouting in joy – and replied, "I don't have a problem with that."

"Splendid. Sirius, do you have another room we can sleep in?" Harry asked, while Snape and Lucius were admiring the brilliant shade of red that had appeared on Ron's face.

"Well, there is this room on the end of the fourth floor. My room is at the beginning of the hallway and Remus sleeps two rooms further," Sirius suggested.

"Great. That will be our new room," Harry said enthusiastically.

Just then Remus remembered that the shopping bags of Harry were still in Sirius' room and decided to take them to Harry's new room. Silently he went upstairs and found the bags sitting on Sirius' bed. He shrank them and went to the door when his eyes caught a scrap of parchment laying on the bedside table. After debating with himself whether it was moral to read something that didn't belong to him, he took the scrap and immediately saw that it was the address of the woman Sirius had flirted with.

Remus stared at the parchment and felt something burning in his chest. His eyes tried to burn holes in the paper, but he didn't succeed. What right did that woman have to give her address to a man she didn't even know!

_She's probably a slut who does it with every man she sees,_ Remus thought sneering. Well, that was too bad, because this would be a man she wouldn't get.

Remus took his wand and set the parchment on fire. Satisfied, he saw how the paper turned to ash and he tossed it into the garbage can. Softly whistling, he walked out of Sirius' room and dropped the bags in the new room of Harry and Draco.

* * *

Meanwhile, downstairs…

"Wait a minute! Harry, you can't do that!" Ron yelled outraged.

"Why not? You don't want Draco in the same room as you while I don't mind his company. I believe this is a win – win situation," Harry replied, his green eyes innocent.

"Why can't he sleep alone?" Ron almost whined.

"I know you don't know much about etiquette, Mister Weasley, but I would think you would at least know the difference between polite and impolite," Snape drawled.

"Ron, Draco will sleep with me in the same room and that's final," Harry replied, annoyance clearly ringing through his voice.

"Don't say I didn't warn you!" With that said, Ron stormed out of the room.

"Eh, good night, Harry," Hermione said nervously and looked apologetically, but still wasn't sure if it was a good idea to let Malfoy sleep in the same room as Harry. On the other hand, the professor and Sirius were staying on the same floor, so she assumed it was rather safe. She waved and followed Ron.

"Does Weasley always have to shout his displeasure?" Lucius asked.

"That's Ron for you," Harry sighed.

"Gryffindors," Lucius muttered, shaking his head. He had always known that there was something wrong with that House.

"I'm a Gryffindor too, you know," Harry remarked dryly.

"That may be, but you admitted that the Sorting Hat wanted to put you in Slytherin. There's still hope left for you," Lucius replied with a shark like grin.

"I'm relieved you haven't given up on hope for me," Harry muttered sarcastically. Then he yawned.

"Time to go to sleep, Harry," Sirius teased.

"What, no tucking me in bed with a bedtime story?" Harry teased back and stood up.

"Do you want me to? I am good at telling stories," Sirius grinned.

"No, that's all right," Harry said quickly, somehow getting the feeling that Sirius' stories weren't innocent fairy tales.

"Your shopping bags and your trunk are in your new room," Remus announced when he walked back into the room, after having disappeared a while ago.

"Thank you, Remus," Harry smiled.

"I'm going to sleep too. Listening to Pansy always makes me tired," Draco said and stretched. That girl was an energy sucking, evil demon.

"That reminds me, can my house elf go through this wards, Sirius?" Lucius inquired.

"I can let the wards down for three minutes, but not more," Sirius warned.

"That's enough time for me. Draco, I will sent your stuff upstairs, you can go," Lucius said to his son.

Draco nodded. "Goodnight, father, Uncle Severus, everyone."

"Goodnight, Draco," Snape said and nodded to Harry as well.

Harry nodded back, bid everyone goodnight and walked out of the room, Draco following him.

"You two can choose a room from the third floor, although I suggest you choose a room near the end of the hallway. Much safer," Sirius advised the two men.

That was all that Harry heard, before the door closed.

The two boys were walking to the stairs that would bring them to the fourth floor when Draco asked, a bit nervous, "You really don't mind sleeping with me in the same room, do you?"

Harry threw him a surprised glance. "Why would I? I was the one who suggested it."

"Yes, but now you have another fight with Weasley," Draco pointed out.

Harry shrugged. "Ron just has to learn that not everything is black and white."

He opened the door to their new room and blinked when he saw how big and beautiful the room was. Two rather big beds stood opposite each other to the walls and each had a bedside table, made of a dark wood and there were exotic flowers carved out in the nightstands. One large wardrobe dominated the wall next to the door. Between the beds were two desks placed. Harry's trunk was placed underneath one of the desks and his owl cage – that now contained a sleeping Hedwig – was placed on a shelf next to the window. On the floor laid a dark blue carpet, but this one was free of dust or other dirt. In fact, from what Harry could see in the moonlight shining through the window, the room was clean. That puzzled him a bit, seeing as the other rooms were nearly collapsing from the dirt.

"Huh, and here I thought I would be sleeping in the dirt," Draco said surprised and walked further into the room.

"I expected that, actually. But I'm glad we were wrong," Harry smiled and closed the door behind him.

"Well, we can now safely go to sleep without fearing that we'll be suffocated by dirt," Draco grinned. At that moment, a soft POP sounded and a large trunk appeared on the bed beneath the window.

"I have my clothes; now, we can search for yours," Draco said and immediately walked to the wardrobe. He opened the door and spotted the bags neatly placed on the bottom of the wardrobe. "Never mind, I found them." He rummaged through the bags until he found a black pyjama with silver stitched on the end of the sleeves. "Catch." He threw the clothes to Harry, who caught them, thanks to his Seeker reflexes.

Because Draco didn't want Harry to see his 'physical' reaction to his changing of clothes, he quickly started searching for his dark blue pajamas with the Malfoy crest stitched on the back. When he had changed his clothes, he turned around to see Harry staring intensely at him.

"Eh, Harry, is there something wrong?" Draco asked confused.

Harry shook his head, a little bit dazed. "No, there's nothing wrong. Let's go to sleep," he suggested.

"All right. Goodnight, Harry," Draco said and crawled in his bed.

"'Night," Harry mumbled and snuggled deeper in the sheets that felt like silk.

His last thought, before sleep took over, was that Draco had a nice chest. _Probably from those long Quidditch hours,_ Harry thought and drifted away, letting the sleep take over.

* * *

He was dreaming. He knew it, but that realization didn't chase away his feeling of despair.

Harry was once again at the Ministry. Like a few weeks earlier, he was fighting next to Sirius.

Once again, he saw Bellatrix firing a curse at Sirius, but this time Lucius didn't rescue his godfather. Instead, the red curse hit Sirius and he fell through the Veil, a surprised look on his face.

"NO, SIRIUS!" Harry yelled. He made a move to pull Sirius away from the Veil, but he couldn't move. It was as if he was petrified. He screamed and screamed, but nobody heard him. Nobody helped Sirius. He watched helplessly how his godfather fell through the Veil and how he disappeared from Harry's life.

Tears were streaming down Harry's cheeks and his throat hurt from screaming so loudly and so much.

Suddenly Voldemort materialized in front of him. He was twirling his wand between his long white fingers and his red eyes were glowing crazily.

"You see, Harry, that will happen to everyone you love. One by one, they will die and all will be your fault. It is your fault that everybody will die," Voldemort hissed, grinning evilly. "You should have died when you were a baby. Look, your family agrees with me."

Against his will, Harry turned around to see his parents, Sirius and Cedric standing behind him. They all looked perfectly normal, except for their eyes. Their eyes looked dead, but cold.

His father stepped forward. "Look, see what you did? Because of you, Lily and I are dead. We should have given you to Voldemort when we heard of the prophecy. At least then, with your death, we would still be alive."

Harry began to shake his head, new tears forming in his eyes.

Lily stepped forward too. "I can't believe I carried you for nine months in my body. I gave you my love and this is how you repay me? By killing me and my husband? You disgust me."

Then Cedric stepped forward. "I wish I hadn't taken the Cup with you. At least then, I wouldn't have died."

"I can't believe I was so stupid to rescue you," Sirius said at last. "Look where it got me. Maybe I should have killed you like everybody thought I would when I escaped. Because I've lost my best friend and my life. Who are you going to kill next? Remus?"

"No, no, I'm sorry," Harry cried. "I didn't mean to let you die. Please, I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He kept repeating he was sorry, while the others were chanting, "It's all your fault."

Harry screamed again when hands began to drag him to the Veil. He tried to kick, bite, scratch… but it didn't help. The hands pulled him through the Veil. The last thing he saw before darkness took over, was a maniacally laughing Voldemort.

* * *

There was someone shaking his shoulders and saying his name. "Harry. Harry, come one, wake up. It's just a dream. Come on, Harry."

Harry's eyes shot open and he was looking into concerned grey eyes. The grey eyes went blurry and he wondered why. Then he realized he was crying. He threw himself at the person before him and sobbed on his shoulder. The person gathered him in his arms and hugged him.

"Harry, calm down. It was just a dream. Everything is okay." The person, Draco, Harry belatedly realized, kept repeating that mantra, while rocking him.

Eventually, Harry ran out of tears.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked softly. Even with red puffy eyes from crying, Harry was still unbelievably beautiful.

"Yeah, I'm sorry that I woke you up," Harry whispered ashamed. _Great,_ he thought, inwardly groaning. _It's only the first night of our new friendship and I already have screamed Draco awake. I wonder if he'll reconsider his offer of friendship._

"Don't be sorry. Tell me, what happened in your nightmare?" Draco inquired, rubbing circles on Harry's back to soothe him.

"Nothing special; it was just a stupid nightmare," Harry mumbled, evading the question.

"Nothing is stupid if it makes you so distressed," Draco said.

Harry casted his eyes to his lap and began to fiddle with this fingers. "I was just dreaming about… the Ministry."

"And?" Draco asked, trying to coax the nightmare out of Harry.

"I dreamt that Sirius died. Then Voldemort came and told me everyone I love, would die and it would be all my fault," Harry hiccupped. "My parents, Cedric and Sirius appeared and they all said their deaths were my fault and that I should have died instead of them."

"Oh Harry," Draco sighed and hugged him tighter. "You know it isn't your fault. Voldemort killed them, not you."

"But I'm the reason they are killed. If I hadn't been born, Voldemort wouldn't have gone after them," Harry replied miserably.

Draco grabbed his shoulders and forced Harry to look him right in the eyes.

"Don't ever say that again," he said sharply, his grey eyes blazing with anger. "It was never your fault, do you hear me? Voldemort made the decision to go after them, not you. Stop blaming yourself. Repeat after me, it was not my fault."

"It was not my fault," Harry repeated, entranced by the fire burning in the grey eyes.

"Good," Draco said brusquely.

At that moment, Harry realized he was sitting on Draco's lap and he blushed furiously.

"Eh, I'm sorry," he said and scrambled off Draco's lap, still blushing madly.

Draco hid his disappointment – he rather liked Harry sitting on his lap – and instead smiled.

"Eh, I'm also sorry that I screamed you awake. I should have warned you that this could happen," Harry mumbled ashamed.

Draco looked surprised. "You didn't scream; you were just whimpering and trashing around."

"How come you woke up then?" Harry asked confused.

"I'm a light sleeper," Draco answered.

"Oh."

It was quiet for a moment.

"Think you can go to sleep again? Or is it useless?" Draco asked concerned.

"I don't think I'll be able to sleep again. I can try, but…" Harry shook his head. "Don't worry, go back to sleep. I'll be occupying myself with some reading. Maybe it will help me fall asleep."

Draco stared at him. "Are you an idiot?"

"What? Why?" Harry asked stunned.

"If you think I'll just go back to sleep while you stay awake, then you have another thing coming." Draco stood up. "Now, you have two choices. One, I'll sing you to sleep. Or two, I go to Sev and ask him for some Dreamless Sleep potion. What do you pick?"

"I'll think I go for the potion," Harry answered quickly.

Draco's eyes narrowed. "Why? Do you think I'm not a good singer?"

"No, that's not it! It's just… It would be such a shame to fall asleep, when you're singing. I mean, you probably sing beautiful, so I want to be awake to hear that. And if you sing now, I won't be able to enjoy it," Harry said, thinking rather quickly to avoid a discussion.

_Now that's a true Slytherin answer,_ Draco thought amused. _Using flattery to get you out of nasty situations. And damn, it's working too._

"Well thought out answer, Harry. Truly worthy of Slytherin," Draco teased.

"Huh?"

"Don't think about it. I go wake up Sev for that potion. I'll be right back," he said and sneaked out of the room. The candles were still glowing and spread an eerie golden glow that illuminated Draco's path to the stairs. Carefully, he tiptoed down the stairs, not wanting to wake up the others.

Finally, he arrived at Snape's room and he knocked softly. Five seconds later, a grumpy and annoyed Snape opened the door and he glared at Draco.

"What do you want, impertinent brat?" he growled.

"I'm your godson; you're obligated to be nice to me," Draco sniffed and crossed his arms.

"I'm patient enough to not strangle you right now. Isn't that nice?" he drawled and scowled.

Draco pouted and huffed.

"What are you here for, Draco? It's late and I want to sleep," Severus sighed.

"I need a Dreamless Sleep potion," Draco demanded immediately, not wanting to stall.

Severus quirked an eyebrow. "Why? Are your dreams that annoying?"

"It's not for me. Harry wants it," Draco answered.

Now Severus was curious – he wouldn't admit it, of course. "Since when does Mister Potter ask willingly for a potion?"

"He didn't. I gave him two choices; either I would sing him to sleep or he would take a potion." Draco frowned. "For some strange reason, he chose the potion."

"Strange indeed," Snape said dryly. "Why does he need the potion?"

"Because he had a nightmare and now he can't go to sleep again," Draco explained.

"What was his nightmare about?" Snape inquired.

"About Voldemort giving him the feeling that it is his fault that his family died," Draco sighed.

"Next time I'll be discussing his issues," Snape muttered under his breath.

"What?" Draco asked confused.

Snape shook his head. "Never mind. Wait here, I'll give you the potion."

Draco waited patiently; he heard Severus rummaging through his bag. One minute later, the potion was pushed in his hand.

"Here, this will guarantee him a completely dreamless night."

"Are you sure?" Draco asked teasing. He found it amusing how worked up his godfather could get if someone doubted his potion skills.

"I have invented a new potion. Would you like to test it, Draco?" Snape suggested, his voice sweet like poison.

"No, thank you, Uncle Sev. Perhaps another time. Goodnight." Draco hastily retreated to his room, missing the smirk Snape sent him.

When he came back, he saw Harry laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, a bored expression on his face. He glanced up when Draco closed the door and smiled faintly.

"Here's your potion," Draco grinned and gave Harry the vial.

"I'm surprised he didn't bit your head off," Harry remarked.

"No, he only threatened me," Draco chuckled.

Harry chuckled, but grimaced when he gulped down the potion.

"Now you'll be able to sleep without any nightmares," Draco smiled.

Harry smiled weakly.

Just when Draco stepped back into his bed, Harry's small voice spoke up, "Draco, can you sleep here with me in my bed tonight? I don't want to feel alone."

"Eh…"

"You don't have to; it was just a stupid question anyway," Harry said light – hearted, trying to hide his disappointment. He didn't succeed very well.

"Of course, Harry. Scoot over," Draco chuckled softly and slid underneath the sheets and hesitated for a second, before he took Harry in his arms.

"Thank you," Harry mumbled and without realizing it, he buried his face in Draco's shoulder. "Goodnight, Draco."

"Goodnight, Harry," Draco whispered.

A few seconds, Harry's breathing evened out and he fell asleep.

Draco studied his face in the pale moonlight. Harry's dark hair blended into the dark and the moonlight illuminated his face. He looked like an angel.

Draco felt giddy; here he was, laying in one bed with Harry. Okay, it was not exactly like how he would really want to lay with Harry, but it was a good start.

Draco yawned; he figured that was his cue to go back to sleep. But before he closed his eyes, he wanted to do one thing.

Carefully, as to not wake Harry up, Draco placed a sweet kiss on Harry's forehead. Harry wrinkled his forehead, but sighed contently and snuggled deeper in Draco's embrace. Draco smiled and five seconds later, he had joined Harry in the dream world.

* * *

He and Harry were sitting in a grazing. They were looking in the book wherein he and the other Marauders had written all their pranks.

"Did you guys ever study or were you always doing pranks? I mean, look at how big this thing is!" Harry laughed.

Sirius grinned. "We divided our time; eighty percent was reserved for doing pranks, and the other twenty percent for studying."

"I'm surprised you got your degrees," Harry chuckled.

"To be honest, we ourselves were surprised as well. Well, everyone but Moony. But he was always the one who studied the most," Sirius grinned.

Without warning, the sky went suddenly dark. Sirius frowned; this was not right. He looked around; nothing moved and nothing could be heard. Not even the wind. He stood up, feeling nervous.

"Harry? Come on. I think it's best if we go home," Sirius said nervously.

Harry looked up in surprise. "Why? What's wrong?"

"There's a storm coming up. Come on, Harry, we're going home," Sirius said urgently.

Harry shrugged, but stood up. "All right, let's go."

They had barely taken one step, when a flash of lightening blinded them momentarily. When their sight returned, they gasped in unison when they saw Voldemort standing before them.

"Well, well, what do we have here? The last Potter and a Black," Voldemort sneered.

"Voldemort." Sirius glared. He and Harry reached for their wands.

"As much as I would like to chat, I don't have the time for it." Voldemort smiled. "AVADA KEDAVRA!" The green light engulfed Harry.

"HARRY! NO!" Sirius screamed. He rushed forwards and caught Harry in his arms. Dead green eyes looked up at him. "NO! HARRY! NO!"

Voldemort laughed maniacally.

Rage filled Sirius' body and he raised his wand. He would kill Voldemort. But when he looked up, he didn't see Voldemort anywhere. Instead of the dark wizard, the ghost of James Potter had appeared.

"Prongs! I'm sorry I couldn't…" Sirius began, but stopped when he saw the cold eyes of his best friend.

"When I named you as Harry's godfather, it became your job to protect him. And did you? No. You let him die," James said coldly.

Sirius shook his head. "No, I did my best to protect him. I swear I did! You have to believe me!" he said, panic overtaking his body.

"Believing you? Why should I? It's your fault my son died. It should have been you who died. I can't believe I was so stupid to trust you with my son's life. I should have known never to trust a Black," James sneered and raised his wand.

"James, don't do this. I'll take revenge for Harry. I swear! I'll kill that bastard who murdered Harry!" Sirius cried, now really panicking.

James raised an eyebrow. "Then why don't you kill yourself?"

"What?" Sirius whispered.

"After all, you're the one who killed him. Bye Sirius. Have a good time in hell," James hissed. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Green light. Pain. Then nothing.

* * *

Sirius gasped and shot up in bed. His wild eyes frantically looked around in his dark bedroom until he realized he was still alive. It had been just a dream.

Sirius ranked with a trembling hand through his hair and tried to control his breathing.

_It was all just a dream,_ Sirius tried to reassure himself. _Harry is still alive and James didn't come back to kill me. Everything's fine._

He shivered when he pictured the cold eyes of James again. _No, don't think of that!_

Sirius laid down again and closed his eyes, willing himself to go back to sleep. It didn't work. He still remembered Harry's dead body.

After two minutes he gave up and crawled out of his bed. He would go check on Harry. He wanted to see that Harry was fine and that he was still alive. He tiptoed out of his room and was extra careful not to step on the creaking places of the floor when he walked by Remus' room. He didn't want to wake up his werewolf friend.

Softly, he opened the door of his godson's room and waited for his eyes to adjust. He looked around and finally discovered the lump on one of the beds, that was Harry. To his great relief, he saw the lump breathing in the pattern of sleep.

_See, everything's fine. Harry is still alive,_ he thought relieved.

Just when he wanted to go back to his room, he realized that the lump on the bed was too big to be Harry. If that wasn't Harry, then who was the person sleeping in the bed?

Sirius tiptoed towards the bed and slowly, as to not wake the person, he took the sheets a little down.

His mouth fell open when his brain finally registered what he saw. There were two people in the bed. One was Harry, his godson, while the other was… Draco Malfoy. And if that realization wasn't already enough, he noticed their position too. Harry's head was on Draco's shoulder and he was wrapped up in the embrace of the blond boy.

Dumbfounded and freaked out, he walked out of the boys' room and without knocking, he went straight into Remus' room where he searched for the bottle of Firewhiskey he had hidden in here. He found it in one of the drawers. He had swallowed a quarter down of the alcohol, when a sleepy voice asked, "What the hell are you doing in here at… three o'clock in the freaking night?"

Sirius turned around to face a sleepy Remus, sitting up and glaring at him.

"I'm going to drink myself into a stupor, in the hopes of erasing that image from my mind," Sirius answered and took another swig.

Remus sighed and rubbed in his eyes. "What image?"

"I went to check on Harry and saw him s – sleeping with Draco in his – his bed. In Drac – Draco's arms even!" Sirius hiccupped.

That woke Remus up. "What?" he asked, wide – eyed. Surely he had heard that wrong.

"They are sleeping in the s – same bed! Do you think Harry's – is gay?" Sirius asked, swinging the nearly empty bottle.

"How should I know? Why don't you ask Harry if he's gay or not?" Remus sighed.

"But this means Malfoy's boy is gay too. Who would have thought? I think they would make a cute couple, don't you agree, Moony?" Sirius rambled, not listening to Remus.

"Sirius," Remus cut his rambling off. "Why did you check on Harry?"

That made Sirius sober again. "I just wanted to see if Harry was still alive," he muttered.

"Why?" Remus asked, resigning himself to the fact that he wouldn't go to sleep anytime soon.

"Because I had a nightmare," Sirius mumbled and avoided Remus' eyes.

"Sirius, sit down and tell me about it," Remus ordered and patted on the place next to him on his bed.

Like his Animagus form, Sirius obeyed immediately and began to tell about his nightmare. After he was done talking, it was silent for a while.

"Sirius, nothing will happen to Harry," Remus tried to reassure Sirius.

"How can you know that?" Sirius whispered and his hand clenched around the bottle tighter.

"I just know it. We'll all make sure that Harry will survive," Remus soothed him.

Sirius sighed, but didn't comment on that.

"Do you think James would resent me, because I'm the one who can raise his son?" Sirius asked in a little voice.

"Of course not! He would be glad. If he didn't want you as Harry's guardian, then he wouldn't have named you as his godfather," Remus reassured him.

"I know it's a horrible thing to say, but I'm glad I've got the chance to have Harry under my custody. I know I don't have to raise him, because he's almost an adult, but it's just… I'm happy I get the chance. And this is horrible because basically, this means that I'm happy that one of my best friends is dead," Sirius said, slightly hysterical.

"Sirius, you're not a horrible person! You are just happy to have a family. You can't feel guilty about that," Remus said fiercely.

"Maybe you're right," Sirius mumbled, biting on his lower lip. "Hey Moony."

"What?"

"Do you mind if I sleep here tonight? I don't want to go back to my room," Sirius asked, pouting and giving Remus his puppy – eyes.

Remus sighed and shook his head amused. "You never grow up, do you, Padfoot? Fine, you can sleep here tonight. But don't dare to turn into Padfoot to slobber over my face, because then I'll castrate you and I will turn your hair permanently green," he threatened.

"You know green isn't my colour, Moony," Sirius whined.

"Shut up and lay down, prat."

Sirius huffed, but crawled underneath the sheets, next to Remus, after dropping the bottle on the floor.

"When I said you could lay down, I meant that you had to get a spare sheet and lay on top of mine; I didn't mean that you had to crawl under these," Remus remarked dryly.

"But I need the comfort, Moony. I'm still traumatized from my dream," Sirius whined and pouted again.

"All right, fine! Just go to sleep," Remus said exasperated.

For two minutes, it was silent.

"You're going to give Harry the sex talk, okay? I don't want to embarrass me or him," Sirius said sleepily.

"What?" Remus turned wide – eyed to the man lying next to him. Where did that come from?

"I knew you would do it. Thanks, Moony, you're a real life saver," Sirius muttered and without warning, he gave Remus a peck on his cheek. "Goodnight, Remus."

Remus, who had been shocked at that display of affection, shook his head dazed and smiled gently. "Goodnight, Sirius."

Neither one of them had any nightmares again; which probably was because of their closeness. This would be the first of many night where they would comfort each other in this way; sleeping deeply in each other's arms.


	9. Explanation ritual and bribery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm, no special warnings for now
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 9: Explanation ritual and bribery**

The next morning, Draco woke up to an annoying predicament. Like every teenage boy, his body reacted in a 'certain' way when he woke up. Normally, this wouldn't bother Draco, but this morning was of another matter. Unlike other mornings, he had now woken up to find Harry sleeping in his arms with his back to Draco' chest – and with his arse pushed against a certain body part of Draco. This created a problem.

How much Draco would like to stay in this position, he couldn't. He really didn't need to hear Harry's reaction when he would feel Draco's hard member against him.

So, regretfully, Draco freed himself slowly, all the while trying not to wake Harry up. Eventually, after six minutes of careful maneuvering, Draco was out of bed. He stretched and smiled when he saw Harry's hand moving in search of him. Harry frowned when he couldn't feel Draco anymore, but remained asleep.

Draco tiptoed to his trunk and chose his clothes for today; a black jeans with a white T – shirt. He casted one final glance at Harry before walking into the bathroom, where he proceeded to shower and to take care of his 'problem'.

* * *

Harry woke up, missing the warmth that had been around him last night. Slowly, he sat up and blinked when the sunlight reached his eyes. He yawned and ranked his hand through his black hair. He was just thinking whether it was worthwhile to comb his hair, when the events of last night rushed through his memory. His head flushed a fiery red and he groaned mortified.

_Oh my god,_ he thought miserably. He had just remembered that he'd asked Draco to keep him company in his bed. Because he didn't want to be alone. How embarrassing. And how was he supposed to face Draco? Speaking of him, where was Draco? He looked around and only then did he hear the sound of running water. So Draco was in the shower.

Harry climbed out bed and stretched. He was just wondering how long Draco had been in the shower when he heard the water stopped running. _Perfect timing,_ Harry thought and turned around – just in time to see a half – naked Draco standing in the bathroom doorway. The only item of clothing on his body was a towel and there were still water drops on his chest, making their way down to the towel.

Harry blushed and averted his eyes elsewhere. "Eh, good morning, Draco," he mumbled.

Draco smirked – satisfied with Harry's blush upon seeing him half – naked – and responded, "Good morning to you too. Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, the potion worked well. Eh, I'm going to shower." Without looking in the direction of Draco once, he managed to go in the bathroom. Quickly, he stripped his clothes off and twisted the water taps until he got the temperature of the water right; not too cold, not too warm. He sighed contently and stood in the shower for ten minutes.

When Harry had toweled himself dry, he realized he hadn't taken any clothes with him. He smacked himself for his stupidity and sighed. He wrapped the towel around his hips and padded out of the bathroom.

Draco looked up when he heard the bathroom door open and he gulped when he saw that Harry wasn't dressed.

_If every morning starts like this – with Harry coming out of the bathroom with only a towel on – I won't mind waking up,_ Draco thought and let his eyes roam over Harry's body. _I knew Quidditch was good for the body,_ Draco thought, enjoying the sight Harry unknowingly presented.

Draco was snapped out of his lust filled thoughts – and daze – when Harry asked, "Draco, did you pick out clothes for me?"

The blond boy blinked and then remembered the clothes lying on Harry's bed. He had chosen the black T – shirt with the white dragon on the back and a dark blue jeans.

"Yes, do you like the choice?" Draco asked.

"Yeah, the clothes are nice, but I'm capable of choosing my own clothes, you know," Harry said dryly.

"Oh, I know, but I thought I would save you the trouble," Draco smirked.

"You shouldn't have," Harry mumbled and quickly he pulled on the clothes.

"Ready for breakfast?" Draco inquired and was met with a loud rumble.

Harry blushed.

"I think I know your answer," Draco laughed.

"Shut up, prat," Harry muttered and stalked out of the room, Draco following grinning.

When they arrived in the kitchen, only Sirius and Remus were already there to greet them. Well, Remus greeted them cheerfully; Sirius only grunted and laid his head back on the table.

"What's wrong with him?" Harry asked concerned.

"Just a hangover, nothing more," Remus answered lightly.

At the perplexed faces of the two boys, Remus elaborated, "He drank a whole bottle of Firewhiskey last night."

"Why?" Harry asked shocked. The twins had once given him some Firewhiskey and when the drank burned his throat, he swore he wouldn't touch the drank ever again. Harry didn't know whether he should admire Sirius for his bravery to drink a whole bottle of Firewhiskey or just find him plain stupid for doing it.

"Oh, he just wanted to erase some images from his memory," Remus said, smiling pleasantly and patted Sirius on his head. "Nothing important."

Sirius groaned when he felt the impact on his pounding head and batted the offending hand away.

"Did he succeed?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.

"If the Firewhiskey didn't do its job, the hangover will," Remus answered dryly.

"But why hasn't he taken a potion against his hangover?" Draco asked confused.

"There's even a potion against that?" Harry asked amazed.

"Of course, but it tastes like overcooked fruit," Draco answered flippantly.

Harry quirked an eyebrow. "And you know that, because…?"

A light blush colored Draco's cheeks and he cleared his throat. "Some of the older Slytherins always complain about it."

Harry shook his head and mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like 'Slytherins'.

"Anyway, we don't have a hangover potion," Remus explained.

"Why don't you ask Sev for one?" Draco suggested.

"We value our lives," Remus simply said.

The door opened to reveal a scowling Severus Snape. He strode into the kitchen and placed a bottle before Harry.

"Take this. Tonight you will receive your nutrition potion," Snape said in a no nonsense tone. Then it seemed as if he hesitated. Roughly, he placed a black vial before Sirius. "And you, take this. I have no patience to hear your groaning, because you have a hangover," he said curtly. "But don't expect another one if you're stupid enough to drink so much again. And no, I didn't poison it. That would be too easy."

Sirius eyed the vial warily, but downed it down. He sighed in relief when the potion cured his headache.

"Thank you, Severus," Remus smiled.

Snape grumbled, but didn't comment.

Sirius' stomach reminded them that they hadn't had any breakfast yet.

Immediately, Harry sprang up. "I'll make breakfast. Are eggs and bacon good?"

"Sounds good to me." Sirius licked his lips at the promise of some food.

"Excellent," Harry muttered and looked into the cupboards. He discovered the eggs and the bacon into a lower cupboard with a cooling charm on it. To grab the food, he had to bend down and in doing that, he gave Draco the chance to admire his arse. Harry placed the food on the corner and took a pan.

"I'll help you, Harry," Remus offered and had risen out of his chair, when he was pushed down again by Harry.

"No need. I can do it on my own," Harry said and lightened the fire under the pan. He melted the butter and cracked the eggshells. He let the yolks fall into the pan and began to scramble them. A second pan joined the first and Harry backed the bacon.

After six minutes, everyone had a plate with bacon and scrambled eggs before them.

"Damn, this tastes so good," Sirius moaned.

"Indeed. Tell me, Potter, how it is that you can cook a decent meal – without poisoning someone – but aren't able to brew a potion?" Snape asked.

Harry, realizing Snape had just given a compliment, smiled. "When I cook, I know which type of foods can be add together, because of their smell. But the ingredients of a potion all smell disgusting, so I can't depend on smelling if the combination is good or bad."

"Hm, so he needs to smell it…" Snape mused and looked lost in thought.

They all looked up when the door opened again. This time, it were Mister and Mrs. Weasley. Mrs. Weasley looked surprised when she caught the smell of their breakfast.

"Oh my. This smells wonderful. Who did the cooking?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"I did," Harry answered carefully, still remembering the argument of yesterday.

"I didn't know you could cook, Harry," Arthur said surprised, while his wife was inspecting the food.

"Yeah," Harry muttered and shrugged awkwardly.

Mister and Mrs. Weasley each took a plate and sat down at the table.

"Where is father, Uncle Severus?" Draco asked, curious as to why his father still wasn't present.

"He had some business to take care of, but he will be back in half an hour," Snape answered. "Which reminds me; yesterday, you mentioned something interesting in a book. Care to tell me what it was?"

"I rather wait until father is back. I want to ask you both about it," Draco replied, almost unnoticeably fidgeting.

"Very well." Snape narrowed his eyes suspiciously. He knew his godson well enough to know that his fidgeting didn't predict anything good.

Harry was curious as to what Draco wanted to ask, but didn't voice his question, figuring he shouldn't be too noisy.

He startled when a soft voice behind him asked, "Eh, Harry, could we talk?"

He turned around and saw Ron and Hermione standing in the doorway, both fidgeting and looking nervous.

"Eh, all right," Harry mumbled and stood up. "I'll see you later, Draco."

Draco nodded, but narrowed his eyes when he looked at Hermione and Ron. What did they want? Would they convince Harry that he had to break off the friendship with Draco? Would Harry do that?

Draco got uneasy, but tried to squish that feeling. Harry wouldn't dump him as a friend, just because his friends told him so, right?

His uneasy thoughts were interrupted by his godfather's hand on his shoulder.

"Draco, your father has arrived."

"All right." Draco stood up and followed his godfather outside the kitchen, where his father waited in the hallway.

"You wanted to ask us something, Draco?" Lucius asked.

"Yes, we can go to my room; the book is in my trunk," Draco explained and led the two adults to his and Harry's room.

"Take a seat." Draco gestured towards the two chairs in front of the desks and walked to his trunk. He searched until he found the jeans in which he had put the book in. As soon as he took the book out of his pocket, the book enlarged to his original size.

Draco placed the book on his desk and browsed through it, until he found the page with the ritual.

"Could you read this, please, and tell me your opinion on it," Draco said and sat on his bed while he waited.

Snape raised an eyebrow when he read the ritual. He hadn't known there was this sort of book available at Hogwarts. He looked at Draco and wondered what his godson wanted with this ritual. It wasn't as if he could gain something from it… Or could he?

"Well, what do you think of it?" Draco asked.

"It's an interesting ritual," Lucius spoke slowly and looked his son in his grey eyes, searching for a clue as to why Draco was so interested in an old ritual. Especially this type.

"Why are you interested in this ritual?" Snape asked. He didn't have enough patience to deal with Lucius' political ways to extract information from Draco.

"Well, it says that this ritual is used for providing understanding between the Houses in time of hostility. We all know that there has been hostility between the Houses for years now and at the rate we're going, it'll never be solved. And, truthfully, it's starting to annoy me," Draco explained. "I was searching for something to read, when I noticed this book. It piqued my interest, because it is written by the Founders and when I browsed through it, this ritual captured my attention. So, I was thinking that if we use this ritual, it will eventually make the hostility leave and we would be one united front."

"In order for the ritual to work, four students must switch Houses, correct?" Snape asked, his voice dangerous soft.

Draco became wary; he knew his godfather well enough to know he should be careful with what he would say next. "Yes."

"It says here that Slytherin and Gryffindor would have to switch."

"Yes…"

"There is no possible way I will be accommodating a Gryffindor!" Snape hissed.

"Why not?" Draco pouted slightly.

"I have no patience to deal with some irritating dunderhead who refuses to use his small brain," Snape said annoyed.

Draco thought quickly. "Even if you'll have the chance to influence the Gryffindor?"

Snape narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean exactly?"

"We all know that the Gryffindors are the favourite pupils of Dumbledore, right? They all think Dumbledore is the good guy, but what if they could be convinced otherwise?" Draco smirked. "All Gryffindors stick together. So, if one's convinced of the true nature of the Headmaster, others will see the truth too. Result, Dumbledore loses his favourite pupils and stands alone."

"Imagine we use this ritual. A Gryffindor comes to live in Slytherin. Why do you think a Gryffindor will listen to me?" Snape asked sceptically.

"Most Gryffindors won't, that's right," Draco conceded. "But what if this Gryffindor has already been convinced of Dumbledore's true nature? What if this particular Gryffindor has a lot of influence in his house? And what if he's prepared to listen to you?"

"Are you talking about Potter?" Snape asked surprised.

"Harry Potter in Slytherin?" Lucius said incredulously. He would have snorted, but that was unfitting for a Malfoy.

"Yes, Harry." Draco nodded.

"Who says Potter will be the one to be switched? There's a big chance he won't be switched. The cup chooses four people from the years five until seven. How are you going to let the Cup choose Potter?"

"That won't be a problem. With Harry's bad luck, he probably gets chosen twice," Draco answered matter – of – factly.

"You may have a point," Snape said stiffly.

"Of course I have a point. Have you noticed his bad luck? It's a miracle he hasn't died yet." Draco frowned slightly. Harry's tendency to get into trouble would have to disappear. Fortunately, Draco was there to help him with that.

Draco noticed the hesitation on Snape's face and went in for the kill. "Besides, wouldn't it be interesting to see how Dumbledore will react once he knows that Harry is more inclined to believe you, instead of him? And, when Harry is finally a Slytherin, you can take care of him, without it being too suspicious," Draco smirked and crossed his arms.

"That's very Slytherin of you, Draco. One would think you only want to use this ritual to get Potter in Slytherin," Snape remarked casually.

"Oh no, I just want to vanish the hostility," Draco answered innocently.

"Of course," Snape sighed. "I'll see what I can do. I'll discuss it with the Headmaster, though I can't promise anything."

"Thank you, Uncle Sev," Draco smiled.

"You're going to put Harry Potter in Slytherin? Do you want to get him killed?" Lucius asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Why would he get killed? You have heard him yesterday; the Hat had wanted to place him in Slytherin. Surely, he can hold his own if he gets placed into our House," Draco argued.

Lucius held his hands up in defeat – a sign rarely seen from him. "All right, I won't say anything more. I just hope you know what you are doing, Draco."

"Of course I know what I'm doing."

Snape closed the book, shrank it and put it in one of his pockets. "Tomorrow, I'll go see the Headmaster to propose this ritual. Now if you will excuse me, I have some potions to brew."

"You have to wait for that, Sev. I still have to discuss something else with you," Draco smiled – slightly evilly.

Snape sighed and rolled his eyes.

"What OWL result did Harry get for his Potions exam?" Draco asked immediately.

"Why do you want to know that?" Snape asked confused – not that he would admit that, of course.

"Just tell me."

"Surprisingly enough, Potter has managed to get an E," Snape answered.

"But you won't let him into your class, even with his E, right?"

"You know I only allow students who achieved an O to enter in my class, Draco," Snape replied and studied the blond boy in front of him. What did he want now?

"Can't you change that rule?"

"Why would I want to do that? I've established this rule to make sure only the ones who can actually brew a potion, without any mishaps, can get in my class. This means you have to have an O. I'm not changing the rules so that your new friend can follow Potions," Snape said curtly and crossed his arms.

"Come on, uncle. Harry has an E; that's close enough to an O. It shows he can brew potions. I'll even tutor him," Draco offered.

"Draco, why do you want Potter in Potions so badly?" Snape asked curiously.

"Harry wants to be an Auror and he'll need Potions for that," Draco explained. Sometimes, Pansy could be quite useful if you wanted some gossip.

"So, you just want to give Potter a chance to study for Auror. You're not doing it, because you're a possessive, evil brat who wants all his friends to be constantly near you?" Snape asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey! That hurts! I'm not an evil brat!" Draco protested.

"He doesn't even deny that he's possessive and wants his friends near him. Arrogant Malfoys," Snape muttered under his breath.

"Now if I promise you, I'll tutor Harry, will you then accept Harry in your class?" Draco asked impatiently.

"What if I refuse?"

"Life will even get more miserable for you. Not that I will be the cause of it," Draco smiled sweet.

Snape sighed and rubbed in his eyes. "Fine, fine. I accept Potter in my class. But if I find him inadequate, I'll forbid him to follow my class."

"Fair enough," Draco nodded. "Thank you, uncle! You won't regret it!"

"I'm already regretting it," Snape muttered and strode out of the room, glad to finally escape.

Lucius looked at his watch. "I am sorry, Draco, but I have to attend another meeting. I'll see you tonight."

Draco nodded. "Good bye, father." He watched as his father walked out of the room and then he let himself fall on his back. He folded his arms underneath his head and stared at the ceiling.

All right, so he had now convinced his godfather to make use of the ritual and to take Harry in in his Potions class. That was good. Now he only had to hope that Harry still wanted to be friends with him after his conversation with his friends.

Draco bit on his lip – a habit from his childhood – and began to count all the cracks in the ceiling to pass the time.

* * *

Half an hour earlier...

"We can go to my room," Ron suggested.

Harry nodded and licked his lips. God, since when was he nervous to talk to his friends? _Since you blew up at them twice, yesterday..._ , a little voice in his head informed him. "Yeah, okay."

Tense silence hung between the trio when they walked to Ron's room. Nobody dared to say something for fear there would be another fight.

Hermione closed the door behind them to ensure their privacy and went to sit next to Ron on his bed. Harry, who – for the first time in their years of friendship – felt nervous and restless, walked to the window and looked at the street. The sun was shining and there were some children playing in the street with their parents watching over them.

Figuring it was best to break the heavy silence, he said, "So..." and felt helpless when he didn't know what to say further.

Luckily, Hermione took over. "We're so sorry because of what happened yesterday, Harry. We didn't want to make you angry. We should have been calm. And even if Malfoy was confusing us with suddenly standing there and declaring you're his friend now, we hadn't had the right to be angry," she said with a small voice.

"Yeah, I'm really sorry, mate. I should have waited for your explanation, instead of letting my temper get in the way. I'm really sorry," Ron said uncomfortably.

Uneasily Harry ranked a hand through his hair. "You're not the only one who is sorry. I shouldn't have blown up like that."

"But Harry..." Hermione protested.

Harry held his hand up. "No, Hermione, let me finish. I should have known you would be confused when you saw Draco and I should have explained everything right away. You had every right to be angry, so I'm sorry too," he said softly.

Hermione and Ron smiled weakly and nodded.

Harry, feeling a little bit more relieved now that he had apologized, sat down on the chair opposite of the bed. "I think it's best if I explained everything."

"That would make it easier for us to understand," Hermione smiled faintly.

"Yesterday, Sirius, Remus, Snape, Lucius and Draco came to my house to pick me up. I was sent to pack my trunk and Draco came to help me with it. We sort of talked a bit and then he apologized for all the years he has been tormenting us and I apologized for everything we had done to him. At the end, we decided to try to be friends," Harry explained.

"All right. Okay. Just one question; why did you decide to try to be friends?" Ron asked curiously.

Harry sighed. "Well, I figured I could do with one enemy less. It'll make my life a bit easier, I think," he joked. Ron chuckled softly. "And I just thought it would be nice to have more friends."

"All right, I think I can follow with your assumption of Malfoy being a possible new friend, but do you think you can trust his father?" Hermione asked anxiously when she remembered Lucius Malfoy.

"He saved Sirius in the Ministry," Harry answered softly, ignoring the two gasps he heard. "If he wanted to hurt me, he could have let Sirius die. But considering he didn't, I figure I can give him a chance." He shrugged. "Besides, he's in the Order now too."

"Oh, all right, then," Hermione said, slightly reassured with the fact that Dumbledore had trusted Malfoy enough to let him join the Order.

"I think I understand your reasons, but I still think he's an annoying git. But I promise I'll try to tolerate him, if that makes you happy," Ron complied.

"Thanks guys. I really don't want to lose you," Harry said relieved.

"Oh, Harry, we'll always be your friends," Hermione said and went over to hug him.

"Yeah mate, you won't get rid of us that easily," Ron laughed.

"That's good to hear," Harry grinned.

"So Harry, tell us; what happened yesterday, after you left your family?" Hermione asked curiously.

And thus, Harry launched into an explanation of yesterday's events. Although he didn't tell his friends of his outburst when the Headmaster was mentioned – he had a feeling they would try to convince him that he was wrong and that Dumbledore just wanted to help him. He also didn't mention the fact that Snape was one of his guardians. He didn't know why he wanted to keep that a secret, but he just wanted that knowledge for himself.

His friends were happy that he finally was under the care of his godfather – although Harry thought he saw the hint of a frown on Hermione's face – and that he finally had gotten some decent clothes to wear.

Eventually they began to talk about other things like homework. Because Harry wasn't allowed to do his homework when he was at the Dursleys, he still had to do all his tasks, but he figured he could ask the help of Draco, Remus or his godfather, considering Hermione refused to help the two boys with their summer school work too.

When the subject of Quidditch came up, Harry suddenly remembered his promise to go flying with Draco.

He sprang up. "Damn, I nearly forgot I have to go flying with Draco! Are you coming too?"

A little bit reluctantly, his friends agreed. They went to the kitchen while Harry went to find Draco. After a little search, he found Draco lying on his bed in their bedroom. Because he was still happy that he had still his friends, he practically skipped into the room.

"Draco, are you ready to go flying?" he asked happily.

Draco looked up surprised. "So I take it you still want to be friends with me?"

"Of course I want that. Why would I have changed my mind?" Harry asked confused.

"Well, I just thought that if your friends didn't want you to be friends with me, you would listen to them," Draco muttered. Now that he had said that out loud, it sounded kind of stupid.

"Are you an idiot? Even if my friends didn't want me to be friends with you, I would ignore them. It's my life and I choose who my friends are," Harry replied. "Besides, I explained everything to them and they agreed to give you a chance."

"Well, that's good and surprising," Draco mumbled.

"Now go grab your broom! I want to go flying!" Harry said excitedly and immediately retrieved his Firebolt.

Draco laughed, shook his head, but grabbed his Nimbus 2001 and followed Harry downstairs to the kitchen.

There, Ron stood waiting with his Comet 206. "Malfoy." He nodded, visibly restraining himself from saying something insulting.

"Weasley." Draco nodded.

"Come on," Harry said and opened the door to the backyard.

Just when they wanted to go outside, Mrs. Weasley stopped them.

"Ron, Hermione, I need your help with cleaning out the closet on the third floor."

"But mum..." Ron protested, but was silenced with his mother's glare.

"No buts, Ronald. Come, follow me. You can go outside, Harry. Have fun," she added and whisked her son and Hermione out of the kitchen.

"What do you say we play a game?" Draco suggested.

"Okay, but we don't have a Snitch," Harry said disappointed.

"Don't worry, kiddo, I still have a Snitch in my bedroom. I'll go get it for you," Sirius said and went upstairs.

Seeing Harry's confused face, Remus said, "It was a present from James."

"I thought my dad was always the one playing with the Snitch," Harry said.

"That's true, but Sirius played with it too."

"Here, I got it. Let's go outside," Sirius grinned and led them outside.

The grass hadn't been mowed for a long time, so pushing off the ground to fly would be difficult, but a simple cutting spell made a path free.

"All right, whoever catches the Snitch first, wins. Get ready," Sirius said and the two boys pushed themselves off the ground. Sirius let the Snitch loose and the game began.

While watching Harry and Draco searching for the little golden ball, Remus asked, "Sirius, what did you say to Molly that prevented her from asking Harry to clean too?"

"I just reminded her that this is my house and that I decide if Harry has to clean something or not. He had to clean enough when he lived with those disgusting Muggles. I want him to have fun now," Sirius said softly.

"I think you succeeded," Remus smiled.

* * *

The two boys played until the evening; Harry had won eleven times and Draco ten times.

That night, after taking in both the nutrition potion and the potion for gaining weight, Harry went to sleep, after having played a game of chess against Ron with Draco's help.

This time, he didn't have a nightmare.


	10. Harry's birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's currently a tie between the kudos on this fic and on Will you be my daddy? ... For some reason that strikes me as funny (ignore my rambling)
> 
> Warnings: some Mollybashing, foul language and death of a portrait
> 
> Also, someone wants to guess where I got the names of the cat and lion from? =^_^=
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

 

 

**Chapter 10: Harry's birthday**

Two days later, Snape informed Draco that the ritual would be used on the first day of school. Draco was so happy that he hadn't minded it when Weasley and Granger wanted to do something with Harry alone. Well, he hadn't minded it until one hour later. Then he felt the urge to see Harry again. He had searched until he found Harry sitting in the Black's library, playing a game of chess against Weasley, while Granger was reading a book. Seeing Harry smiling at him, Draco took that as an invitation to sit down next to him, where he proceeded to help Harry with the game.

With Draco's help, Harry managed to win for the first time against Ron, for which Draco received a hug. Both boys had been surprised at the action and Harry had blushed, but both didn't seem to mind it. In fact, when Harry had hugged him, Draco had felt extremely happy and a warm feeling had spread through his chest. It was pathetic, really, how happy he could get when Harry paid attention to him – which was almost all the time.

Sometimes, Draco felt as if he was a Veela and Harry was his mate; Draco always felt the urge to be near Harry. Every time Harry wasn't there, Draco became restless and the need to see the raven haired boy grew bigger until he saw Harry again. Just to be sure, he had done research to see if he had some Veela blood. He discovered that one of his ancestors had been married to a Veela, but it had been a very long time ago, so the Veela blood wasn't present in his blood anymore. The only thing he did inherit from the Veela was his light hair and eyes and pale skin. Draco had been slightly disappointed that he wasn't a Veela. He was sure that if he had been a Veela, Harry would definitely have been his mate. It would have made everything easier, that was for sure.

A week before Harry's birthday, Draco decided to look for a present. He wanted to find the perfect present for the boy, so he decided to go to Diagon Alley. His father and Snape accompanied him.

When Draco had told his father that he wanted to buy a present, his father insisted he would buy one too, to show he only meant well for the boy. Snape had been forced to come too, because he was one of Harry's guardians. Draco suspected his father had blackmailed Snape too, because he only grumbled sometimes and scowled, but he still accompanied the two Malfoys on their trip.

A few ideas for presents Draco ruled out on sight. He wouldn't buy a book (Granger would probably do that) or sweets (he suspected that the Weasleys would buy that). Clothes were also not suited as a present. He couldn't see Harry wearing jewelry. Draco wanted to find something that suited Harry's personality.

Lost in thought, he passed a pet store when an idea suddenly struck him. He turned towards the magical pet store and stared at it. Wait a minute. A pet. That would be a perfect idea. Harry loved animals.

Just a few days ago, Draco had found Harry in the backyard petting a stray cat and cooing at it. The cat had soaked in the attention and had purred like a maniac. This resulted in Harry picking up the cat and going inside to find his godfather to ask if he could keep the cat. Sirius, who wasn't fond of cats, had melted when he met the huge puppy – eyes of his godson and had given him permission to keep the cat. Harry named the cat Sapphire, because of the cat's blue eyes. Since that moment, Sapphire followed her new master everywhere. At dinner, she sat on his lap while he fed her. At night, she slept in his bed. The funny thing was that the cat hissed every time Mrs. Weasley, Weasley, the Weaselette or Granger came near Harry. With Draco, Lucius, Snape, Sirius or Remus, the cat didn't have a problem.

Draco smirked; yes, another pet to guard Harry wouldn't hurt.

"I think I can find a present in here," Draco said and turned towards the two adults.

"A pet, hmm," Lucius mused. "Yes, I think it's perfect."

Snape snorted lightly, but didn't comment on it.

Draco opened the door and a bell announced their presence. Everywhere Draco looked, he saw all sorts of animals: cats, dogs, fish, various types of birds, rats, snakes, other reptiles… There were also many crossbreeds. Most of the animals were magical, but there were a few normal animals too.

Leaving his father and godfather behind to look at the crossbreeds, Draco wandered around, looking in each cage to see if he found the perfect animal in there. He almost gave up when he suddenly saw something faintly glowing in the back of the shop. He looked towards his father and Snape, saw that they were now discussing something and decided to check what he glowing was.

Curiously he walked towards the glowing identity and discovered that the glow belonged to two cages. One was glowing red and the other was glowing green.

His curiosity piqued more and Draco looked into the cages. He gasped when he saw the content of it.

The cage with the red glow contained the cub of a lion. Except it didn't come from a normal lion. His whole body was glowing faintly red and his eyes were a fiery red. The tail and mane of the cub consisted of fire. The cub was as big as Draco's arm. His ruby like eyes fixated themselves of Draco and seemed to study him, as if to check if Draco was worthy enough to be in the lion's presence.

Draco, who was slightly freaked out by the cub's staring, looked into the second cage. Not that this content was any better. The green glowing cage contained a small, curled up snake. The scales on the snake were glowing softly green, although Draco could clearly see that the skin was white. The snake could not be longer than Draco's arm. Apparently feeling Draco's stare, the snake opened his eyes slowly and looked at Draco. The eyes, strangely enough, were a light purple.

Draco looked around to see how many of these creatures were in the story, but there were no other cages. In fact, these two cages were located far away from the other cages, as if to protect the other animals against these two. Draco didn't understand it; if these two animals were so dangerous, then why were they up for sale?

Draco shook his head. It didn't matter. He had wanted to find a special present for Harry and now he had found it. Clearly, these animals were the most special.

Draco decided to buy the lion cub. It would suit his Gryffindor fine. He smiled. Yes, Harry would have his own lion protector now. After all, one feisty cat wasn't enough protection.

"Draco?" He heard his father ask, apparently searching him.

He walked to the front of the store.

"There you are. Did you find an animal?" Lucius asked.

Draco nodded. "Yes, follow me, please."

Lucius beckoned the store manager – an old, grey haired man – to follow them. However, the further they walked to the back of the store, the more nervous the man seemed to be.

Draco stopped in front of the cage with the lion cub. "I like to buy this lion."

Lucius chuckled. "It'll fit his personality, that's for sure."

"Are you sure you want to buy this animal? If you're searching for a lion, I can provide you with better ones," the store manager said nervously, but hopefully at the same time.

Draco narrowed his eyes. "Why would I want another one? I want this cub and no other lion will do."

"But this one is very vicious. Other candidate buyers have been burned and bitten by this animal," the man tried to persuade Draco.

Draco rolled his eyes, unlocked the door of the cage and let the lion sniff at his hand, ignoring the outraged gasp 'But sir!' and let Snape hold back the store manager.

The cub sniffed curiously at his hand and looked uncertainly at the boy.

"What do you say about going to live with a nice black haired boy, hmm?" Draco whispered to the cub. Seeing how special it was, Draco figured the lion cub could maybe understand him.

The little lion looked thoughtfully, as if he understood Draco's question and slowly, very slowly, he opened his mouth and… gave Draco a lick on his hand.

"I take that as a yes then," Draco smirked smugly at the store manager and scratched the lion behind his ear. A deep rumble rose from the cub's throat and he closed his eyes, enjoying the scratching movement.

"I thought that this cub was a vicious beast that wounded everyone?" Lucius asked and raised an eyebrow.

"I – I've never… in my life… This is the first time that the lion didn't bite. I don't understand it," the old man stammered, being stunned.

"I don't particularly care if you understand it or not, my son wants to buy this lion cub. How much do you ask?" Lucius asked.

"Well," the man licked his lips, getting nervous again. "This lion has been in this store for as long as I can remember and he never grew. My research didn't tell me much, except that it can only bond with one wizard and that it's an extremely rare species. It said that this lion will place some mark on his bonded wizard and that it will protect him or her with his life. The only other thing I found was that it is called a Nemean. Because a Nemean is extremely rare, the value is considered enormously high, so I don't… think your son will be able to pay." At the end of his speech, the man was sweating.

"Are you suggesting that we, Malfoys, won't be able to pay for this lion? Let me assure you, sir, that the Malfoys are a family of wealth and that we'll be able to afford this Nemean. Now, I ask you once again; how much do you ask?" Lucius questioned, his grey eyes cold.

"90 000 Galleons, sir," the man squeaked scared.

"Now that wasn't so hard, right?" Lucius said affably. "Are you going to pay, Draco, or should I?"

"I will. After all, it's my gift," Draco answered.

Lucius nodded. "Very well." Interested, he looked at the small snake who was staring at the group. "I think I will buy this snake. If he truly belongs in Slytherin, he might as well own Slytherin's symbol."

The store manager gaped. Who was the person they bought these expensive and rare animals for?

"Tell me, what kind of species is this snake?" Lucius asked.

"Well, eh …"

"I've read about this snake," Snape suddenly spoke up. He was staring intently at the snake. "It's called Akeyra, I believe. It came originally from the Amazon forest. It's an endangered species, so I assume it has been illegally imported." The store manager spluttered and went red, but Snape continued, "The book didn't say much about it, except that his poison could be used in some potions. How interesting. I never thought I would see an Akeyra here in England."

"How much?" Lucius asked.

"65 970 Galleons," the store manager squeaked again.

"Very well. Now for the arrangements: I will come back on the thirty – first of July, to pick these animals up. I expect them to be in their transport boxes and they better look as good as now. We're ready to pay now," Lucius smiled coldly. "Unless you want to buy an animal too, Severus?"

Snape scoffed. "No, thank you. I don't fancy seeing a zoo around that boy."

"Maybe, but I would like you to buy a gift too," Lucius said seriously.

Snape smiled sourly. "Don't worry, Lucius, I have something in mind to buy."

"I don't think something related to potions would be a good gift for him, Uncle Severus," Draco said hesitatingly. He couldn't imagine Harry being happy with a potions book. Oh, he would pretend to be happy about it, but Draco was sure Harry wouldn't throw another glance at it afterwards.

"As if I would waste money on buying something with potions for that brat. No, that would be pretty useless. However, I think he will appreciate my idea," Snape replied.

The three men followed the store manager and paid for the animals. Draco was glad that the etiquette forbade the gift purchasers to tell the price to the receiver of the gift. He had a feeling Harry would freak out if he found out how much exactly they had paid for his gifts.

The moment the three men walked outside, Snape immediately strode into a bookstore. When the two Malfoys walked into the store, Snape had already bought something which was wrapped in dark blue paper. When they inquired to what the gift was, Snape remained tightlipped and he refused to even give them a clue. After a while, Lucius and Draco gave up and they decided to wander in Diagon Alley, looking in other stores, happy with their chosen gifts.

* * *

One man, however, wasn't happy. It was the store manager of the magical pet store. When the Malfoys had finally left, he had wiped the sweat of his forehead and had sat down to calm down his trembling legs. He couldn't believe he had just sold two animals for 155 970 Galleons. He was ecstatic he had earned so much, but … On the other hand, even that much money wasn't worth the pain he would endure when he had to put the animals in their boxes. Why did those blasted Malfoys have to choose the two most dangerous animals he had in his store? The man shuddered and made the mistake of looking at the two cages. The lion cub was staring with a look of pure evil in his red eyes and showed his teeth while his claws scratched at the glass which produced a horrible screeching sound. The snake bared his teeth and hissed. The store manager cringed and hastily turned away.

Dear Merlin, why couldn't they have taken the animals with them?

The roar of the lion cub scared him so much that he fainted and stayed unconscious for three hours.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Grimmauld Place.

Remus took his chosen book out of the Black library and walked to his room, deciding to enjoy his peace. Well, that was what he intended to do until he caught Sirius coming out of a room snickering. _Oh dear, this doesn't bode well,_ Remus thought.

"Sirius, what in Merlin's name are you doing?" Remus asked, sighing.

Sirius jumped up and brought his hand to his heart. "Fuck, Remus, you scared the hell out of me! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"I didn't sneak up on you. Now what were you doing in there?" Remus inquired, dreading the answer. If something got Sirius snickering like that, it was usually something that wasn't allowed.

Sirius grinned. "I was preparing Harry's gift."

Remus stared at the grin. "If Lily was still alive, are the chances big she would kill you for it?"

"Probably," Sirius laughed.

"Would James reprimand you in Lily's sight, but congratulate you afterwards?"

"Oh yes."

Remus sighed. "I don't want to know it."

"Then don't ask," was Sirius' simple advice.

Both men jumped lightly when Harry's voice suddenly spoke up. "I'm bored."

They turned around and saw Harry standing with his hands in his pockets and a bored look on his face. Since Snape had been forcing nutrition potions and potions for gaining weight down Harry's throat, the boy looked a lot better. He would still be smaller than most boys of his year, but at least he didn't look starved anymore. Thanks to the potions, his body had filled out nicely and he could now wear his clothes without looking as if he drowned in it – which made him look more handsome. The fact that he was actually very hot hadn't escaped others' attention and even Tonks blushed slightly every time Harry looked in her direction. A fact that hadn't escaped Sirius' attention and he used this opportunity to tease Tonks each time they were in the same room. To Sirius' aggravation Ginny had apparently decided she wanted Harry as her next boyfriend and she used every opportunity she got to flirt with Harry. Unfortunately for her, Sirius, Remus or the Malfoys made sure Harry couldn't be find alone (and to be extra sure, they all inspected Harry's food in case Ginny decided to use a love potion on Harry). Even Snape took care to always be around if the others couldn't accompany Harry (of course he took this opportunity to teach Harry more about Potions. If he had to let that brat in his lessons, he would make sure they at least survived the class. At least, that was his excuse.). So far, Ginny hadn't had a chance to properly flirt with Harry and that had made her a little annoyed (and now she even had to get around a stubborn feisty cat who didn't like her).

"Have you done all your homework?" Remus asked.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Yes, I've finished that a week ago."

"Even your Potions?" Sirius asked surprised.

"Yes, Draco helped me with it," Harry smiled.

"Well, why don't you find Draco to do something?" Sirius suggested.

Harry pouted. "Can't. He went shopping with Lucius and Snape."

"Ah. Well, what about Ron and Hermione?" Remus asked.

"Can't do that either."

"Why not?"

"Well, they are both cleaning and for some reason, every time they go near me, Sapphire hisses. Yesterday, she even bit Ron," Harry answered. As if on cue, Sapphire came from behind Harry and meowed innocently.

Sirius suddenly snapped his fingers. "Wait, I know what we can do," he said enthusiastically.

Harry perked up and looked expectantly at Sirius while Remus began to feel wary.

"You said Snivellus is gone, right?" Sirius asked for confirmation.

Harry nodded.

Sirius rubbed his hands in glee. "Then I think it's time for revenge."

"What revenge?" Remus asked confused.

"A couple of weeks ago, when we were at the Leaky Cauldron. Harry stopped me from retaliating, but he promised me we would take revenge," Sirius grinned.

Remus looked at Harry with reprimanding eyes, but Harry shrugged as if to say 'What did I have to do otherwise?'.

"What is your plan?" Harry asked. He didn't hate Snape anymore, not since he had decided to help Harry – even if this help wasn't necessary – and since he acted a bit friendlier. It was scary to think of a friendly Snape, but Harry suspected that it was all the doing of Draco. Since the blond boy had become his friend, he had reprimanded Snape every time he was nasty to Harry.

"I was thinking of using a potion to change Snivellus' greasy hair into something more… colourful," Sirius grinned with shining eyes.

"Oh god, you mean the potion we used in our sixth year on Dumbledore?" Remus smiled faintly.

Harry gaped. "You played a prank on Dumbledore?"

"Yeah. For a full day, he had to walk with bright orange hair." Sirius shuddered. "His hair clashed horribly with that purple robe he wore."

Remus rolled his eyes. Trust Sirius to be horrified with clashing colours.

"Can we do the prank today?" Harry asked eagerly. No, he didn't hate Snape anymore, but he didn't refuse a chance to play a prank on the man.

"Of course, I have the ingredients laying in the room next to mine. Come on," Sirius smiled and grabbed Remus' arm to prevent him from escaping.

One hour later, the potion for the prank was ready. It was purple from colour and was odourless.

"Moony, you'll stand at the beginning of the hallway to look out for Snivellus. Harry, you're going with me into the git's room. I need your help with spreading the potion," Sirius ordered.

In a flash, Harry was in the doorway with Sapphire on his shoulder. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go," he said impatiently and was already walking towards the stairs.

"We'll make a true Marauder out of him," Sirius smiled satisfied and followed his godson.

Remus sighed, but couldn't stop the smile breaking out on his face, nor the excitement bubbling up in his chest. It was the same he always felt when he was about to play a prank. He hadn't felt like this in years. It was almost as if the Marauders were back in the game. Remus chuckled; there was even a Potter again.

Still chuckling, he went after Sirius and Harry and stationed himself at the beginning of the hallway.

* * *

"All right, Harry, you take the potion and go to the bed. When I let the pillow and sheets float, you let a few drops of the potion fall on the bed. When he goes to sleep, his skin will absorb the potion and will turn his hair into another colour," Sirius explained.

Harry grinned, took the vial and positioned himself at the headboard of Snape's bed.

"Ready?" Sirius asked and raised his wand. Harry nodded and uncapped the cork from the vial. "Levitate." Immediately the pillow and the sheets floated above their heads in exactly the same way as they had laid on the bed. Carefully, Harry let a few drops fall in a straight line.

"Done?"

Harry nodded and closed the vial.

"All right." Sirius mumbled something under his breath and the sheets and pillow floated back into their rightful place on the bed.

"Snape is back." They heard Remus saying softly and they hurried out of the room.

"Wipe those smug smirks of your faces, you two, before you betray our plan," Remus admonished them, but smiled too.

"Wait, Snape's back?" Harry asked. Remus nodded. Sirius could just grab the neck of Harry's T – shirt when he made a dash to the staircase.

"What was that for?" Harry complained.

"Since when are you in a hurry to see Snivellus?" Sirius asked suspiciously.

"Why on earth would I want to see Snape? I just want to see Draco. If Snape's back here, then so is Draco," Harry hurriedly explained, eager to go to the blond boy.

"Then who am I to stop you?" Sirius said bemused and let Harry go. He blinked when Harry was gone in a flash, with Sapphire on his shoulder. "If someone had told me my godson would one day be eager to see a Malfoy, I would have let them committed to Saint Mungos."

Remus chuckled. "Come, let's go downstairs too."

* * *

Draco had just cleaned his clothes from the dust that came with Flooing, when he heard someone stopping behind him. He turned around and smiled upon seeing Harry.

"Hey Harry, Sapphire," he said and scratched behind Sapphire's ear which caused him to slightly brush against Harry's cheek. Sapphire purred and Harry blushed slightly, but seeing as he didn't push the hand away, Draco figured Harry didn't mind the close contact.

"I thought you went shopping? Hello Lucius, professor Snape," Harry added when he saw the two men.

Lucius smiled, while Snape nodded.

"Oh, we went shopping. But we didn't found anything interesting, although I've got something for you." Draco grinned when he saw Harry perking up.

"What is it?"

Draco produced a bag from behind his back and gave it to the boy standing in front of him. Harry opened the bag and grinned widely when he saw the boxes with Chocolate Frogs in it; his favorite candy.

"Thank you!" Harry said happily and gave Draco a hug before he opened a box with the chocolate.

Draco blushed very slightly, but smiled at the happy sight Harry presented, while ignoring his father's and godfather's raised eyebrows.

Harry had just eaten his first Chocolate Frog, when a loud BANG could be heard, the yelling of Mrs. Black ("FILTHY MUDBLOODS! HOW DARE YOU STEP IN THIS PURE HOUSE?") followed by the apologies of Tonks. Apparently she had – once again – tripped over something.

"This is getting annoying," Harry mumbled irritated. He went to a drawer and searched through it until he found a knife.

"Here, hold this for a moment, will you?" Harry said and pushed the bag with chocolates into Draco's hands.

"Harry, what are you going to do with that knife?" Draco asked bewildered.

"You'll see," Harry said mysteriously, grabbed a chair and dragged it to the hallway.

Draco raised an eyebrow, but followed Harry; curious as to what Harry was planning to do with a knife and a chair.

When Harry arrived, he saw Remus and Sirius trying to close the curtains around the portrait of Mrs. Black, who was screaming more profanities.

"Sirius, would you mind it if I destroyed your mother's painting? It's giving me a headache." Harry winced when Mrs. Black let out a particularly loud scream.

"We've already tried everything, pup. We're still trying to find the counterspell to whatever spell she used on her damn portrait," Sirius growled, still struggling with the curtains that wouldn't budge.

"Ever tried it the Muggle way?" Harry asked nonchalantly and showed the knife.

"No, we didn't try that. But you can have the honor of doing that," Sirius smirked, rather sadistically.

"As long as you don't hurt yourself," Remus added concerned.

Harry grinned and placed the chair right in front of the portrait, because he couldn't reach the top of the portrait. He climbed on the chair, but had to grab the back rest, because the chair wobbled. "Damn," he muttered.

Draco shoved the bag in Snape's hands – who looked disgusted at it, but otherwise held it – and grabbed the back rest, so that Harry could stand steady.

Harry chuckled. "I take it you won't miss your great aunt, seeing as you're assisting me."

"I'm not exactly fond of mad screaming portraits," Draco said lightly. _Besides, this way, I can admire your arse without it being too striking,_ he added in his thoughts.

Mrs. Black had become silent when she saw Harry standing before her with a knife in his hand.

"What are you trying to do, you miserable lowlife?" she asked suspiciously, throwing in the insult almost carelessly. It was always fun to see the insulted people trying to retaliate.

Harry rolled his eyes. "If you want to insult me, try to be a little more creative. As for what I'll do - I'm going to destroy you, doing it the Muggle way."

"Ha! As if you could manage that! You're just as pathetic as that Mudblood whore that you call your mother," Mrs. Black sneered.

Instantly, everyone tensed. Mrs. Black had just made a major mistake. Harry stood perfectly still and everyone – even Snape – looked at him worriedly. If there was one thing you really shouldn't do when you were in the proximity of Harry, it was insulting his family.

A strange mad gleam appeared in Harry's eyes and he raised his knife. "For a Pureblood, you're really stupid. Only an idiot would defy someone who's holding a knife. You made a real mistake," Harry said, his voice so cold that it chilled everyone. Even Snape had to repress a shudder.

Quick as a snake, Harry stabbed the knife into the top right corner and ripped the paper all the way down. And just like Harry had suspected, Mrs. Black was able to be removed, only using a knife. All the while when Harry was cutting the painting out of the portrait, Mrs. Black was screaming bloody murder, but wasn't able to stop the boy.

That was how Mrs. Black was destroyed - using a tool that only the sort of people she despised – Muggles – used commonly.

When Harry was done with the cutting, he rolled the painting up and asked, "Can someone burn this?"

Perplexed, Remus waved his wand and said, "Incendio."

The painting was attacked by the flames until it was reduced to ashes. With another wave of Remus' wand, the ashes disappeared and Harry jumped off the chair.

"That felt good," he said satisfied. "I've wanted to do that for a long time."

"Apparently," Draco said carefully. He noticed even Sapphire looked satisfied.

"Are you okay, Harry?" Sirius asked carefully.

"Of course," Harry answered surprised. Then he turned to Draco. "What do you think of playing Exploding Snap?"

"Sure, why not?" Draco complied smiling and followed Harry to their room, after retrieving the bag with Chocolate Frogs from Snape.

"You have a scary godson, Black," Snape remarked casually. "I think it would be wise for the Dark Lord to feel afraid when he'll fight against Potter. Especially if He decides to insult that boy. Imagine what that boy can do with a wand when he's insulted." With that said, he went upstairs.

Sirius scratched his head and shrugged. "Well, at least that awful hag is gone."

Remus shook his head and slapped Sirius on the head. "You can be such an idiot, sometimes."

"What? Why? What did I do now?" Sirius pouted and rubbed the sore spot on his head.

Remus just sighed and walked into the kitchen, a muttering Sirius following him.

* * *

The following morning, Sirius, Remus, Harry and Draco were eating their breakfast when a sudden yell startled them all.

"BLACK, POTTER, LUPIN! YOU SONS OF BITCHES! I'LL MURDER YOU!" Snape screamed and stormed into the kitchen;

All the occupants (including Mister and Mrs. Weasley, Ron, Hermione and Ginny) gaped when they saw how Snape looked like. His hair was no longer black; instead his hair was divided into two colours, gold and red.

"I always knew you loved us Gryffindors, Snivellus," Sirius said and he and Harry burst out in laughter. Remus tried to hold his laughter back, but failed. Soon he was laughing hard too. Even Draco chuckled.

"When I've done the countercurse, there will be hell to pay," Snape hissed and stormed out of the kitchen.

Sirius wiped the tears of laughter out of his eyes. "Ah, it's like a déjà vu. Good old Snivellus threatening us; I missed that."

"Should we tell him that it was a potion?" Harry asked, still chuckling.

"Nah," Remus replied. "He will realize it when none of his spells will work."

"So this is what you did yesterday when I wasn't here," Draco chuckled.

"Yeah, I was bored, so I figured I had to do something when you were gone," Harry grinned.

"So what you're saying is that I'm your entertainment?" Draco said dryly.

"Yes, and you're good at it. If I had known you were that good at entertaining me, I would have called a truce years ago," Harry teased.

"Glad to know that," Draco snorted lightly.

Their playful banter was interrupted by Hermione. "Harry, you shouldn't have done that," she said disapprovingly. "He's still your professor; you should show him more respect."

_Why is it that when I amuse myself, she always finds it disrespectful and disapproves of it?,_ Harry thought annoyed. "'Mione, it was just a prank. His hair will be back to normal tomorrow. It's completely harmless," Harry tried to explain.

"I don't care, Harry. It was immature of you," Hermione said stubbornly.

"Hermione, it's vacation. We're not at school! If Harry wants to play a prank, then let him. It's not as if the potion harmed the greasy git; it just changed his hair colour. Personally, I found it great!" Ron said, after gulping down some of his scrambled eggs.

"Thanks Ron," Harry said gratefully.

"No, Ron, Hermione is right. Harry, you just can't go playing pranks when you're bored," Mrs. Weasley said sternly.

Sapphire hissed and stood in front of Harry, as if she wanted to protect him.

"Molly, it was I who came up with the prank," Sirius said annoyed. Why did that woman always have to nag at his godson?

"How irresponsible can you be? What were you trying to do? Harry isn't James; you can't bring you friend back by trying to change Harry into him," Mrs. Weasley scolded.

Furiously Sirius shot up and banged his hands on the table. "I'M NOT TRYING TO CHANGE HARRY INTO JAMES! I KNOW WHO HARRY IS! FOR FUCK'S SAKE, WE WERE JUST ENTERTAINING OURSELVES! WHY DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO NAG AND RUIN OUR GOOD MOOD?" he yelled, his eyes burning.

"Excuse me? I…" Mrs. Weasley began angrily.

"Molly, don't start," Mister Weasley interjected, sounding tired.

"Come on, Harry, Moony. Let's get out of here, before I kill someone," Sirius growled.

Remus nodded and stood up. Harry, who had tensed up when Sirius had begun yelling, yanked softly on Draco's sleeve, confining his need to have the blond with him. He knew that Sirius would never hurt him, but well… Just to be on the safe side.

Draco casted one glance at the nervous face of Harry and followed him out the kitchen. The two boys followed Sirius and Remus to a room upstairs where they sat down on the surprisingly comfy sofas. They decided to play some Exploding Snap to calm Sirius down.

After a while, Harry had to go to the bathroom. When he came out of it, he bumped into something black.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't…" Harry broke his sentence off and gulped when he saw that he had bumped into Snape. Still with red and gold hair.

"It appears that I have somehow consumed a potion that transformed my hair into these ghastly colours," Snape said, his voice smooth, but dangerous. "Care to explain why you used a potion, Mister Potter?"

_Oh shit, quick, think of something that won't get you killed,_ Harry thought frantically. "Well, you know… I thought I would practice Potions and this seemed an easy one. I mean, it's better to start easy and then work your way up to more difficult ones, right?" Harry laughed nervously.

Snape crossed his arms. "And why did you decide to use the potion on me?"

"I wanted to see if the potion worked and if there were mistakes, you could help me correct them, because you're a Potions Master," Harry answered. _Heh, this is the first time I try to use flattery on Snape. I wonder if it works,_ he thought.

Snape smirked. "Using flattery, very Slytherin of you, Mister Potter. As for the potion, it worked. Maybe you are not so hopeless after all. However, I would prefer it if you didn't use me as your guinea pig. Have a nice day, Potter and stay away from the kitchen for a few hours. I reckon it wouldn't be very healthy for you or that mutt," he murmured and disappeared behind a corner.

For a moment, Harry stood there bewildered, but then shook his head smiling. He hadn't known Snape could be friendly – in his own way, of course.

* * *

A few days later, it was finally Harry's birthday.

Lucius had taken the day off and went to Diagon Alley to pick up the animals (he didn't pay attention to the many bite - , scratch - , and burn marks on the store manager's face and arms). Mrs. Weasley had decided to forget her fight with Sirius and had made Harry's favourite dinner and a huge chocolate cake that had three layers, strawberries and whipped cream on top. Snape had been forced to stay and was sitting in a chair in the living room with a scowl on his face. Draco spent his time in bed, watching Harry sleep. And Sirius… Well, he decided to wake Harry up in his own special way.

Draco looked up when the door opened. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Remus standing in the doorway with a resigned look on his face. Draco opened his mouth to ask what was going on, when suddenly a huge, black dog stormed into the room and jumped on Harry's bed where he proceeded to lick Harry's face. At the feeling of a large, wet tongue sweeping over his face, Harry woke up and stared right into Padfoot's face.

"EEW! Padfoot, that's just gross! Get off of me!" Harry complained and pushed the dog away, who transformed back into a grinning Sirius.

"Happy birthday, pup!" he laughed.

Harry cleaned his face with his sheet. "Thanks, but why did you lick my face?"

"That's the Marauder way of wishing someone a happy birthday," Remus chuckled. "Be glad it was only Padfoot. If James was still alive, he would've licked you too – and trust me when I say, you don't want to wake up to a gigantic antler standing on your bed."

"Now, go dressed! You have cake to eat and presents to open!" Sirius exclaimed excitedly and almost bounced out of the room.

Remus smiled. "Happy birthday, cub. I'll see you downstairs."

"If I were you, I would shower first, before you reek like a dog," Draco smirked.

"Don't worry, I don't want to smell like a dog," Harry laughed and stood up. He stretched and Draco admired the way his T – shirt rid up to show his abs. Harry yawned, grabbed a jeans and a green T – shirt and went to the bathroom.

Draco grinned; he couldn't wait to see Harry's face when he saw his new pets.

* * *

A few hours later (and several attempts of Ginny to kiss Harry in which she didn't succeed), everyone was joined together in the living room. Harry was sitting at the top of the table with Sirius on his right, Draco on his left and Remus standing behind him. It was present time.

First, Harry received Hermione's gift. As expected, she gave Harry a book called _'Dark Curses And How To Recognize Them'_.

Harry gave her a hug. "Thanks 'Mione."

"Preparation for you future career." She winked.

Next, it was Ron's gift. It also contained a book: _'Seekers And Their Tactics'_.

"I know you're a good enough Seeker without it, but I thought it would be fun to try them out," Ron explained.

"Thanks Ron," Harry grinned.

From Mister and Mrs. Weasley he received the usual candy (although now there wasn't any cake included, because he didn't live with the Dursleys anymore); from the twins he got a variety of their new pranks (including the bombs they'd inflicted on Ron's and Hermione's room). Hagrid had sent him his usual can of fudge which he wouldn't eat, because it would destroy his teeth. Bill gave him a book about the breaking of curses and Charlie gave him a book about dragons and … a statue of the Hungarian Horntail. Mrs. Weasley huffed and said she couldn't believe how insensitive her son had been, for the dragon part of the Tournament had been traumatizing for Harry. Harry himself could laugh with it.

Then it was time for Remus' present. At the feeling of it, it appeared to be a book too, but when Harry opened it, he saw that it was a photo album of the Marauders when they were at school.

Harry stood up and gave Remus a hug. "Thank you," he whispered in Remus' ear, touched by the gift.

"It's nothing," Remus smiled and hugged him back.

"Just a question, though; why was Sirius' hair blue in that one photo?" Harry asked curiously, but amused.

"Just a stupid prank some idiots played on me. Now, it's time for my gift," Sirius answered hastily.

Chuckling, Harry opened the small box. His eyebrows furrowed when he dangled a pair of keys in the air. Confused, he asked, "Eh, Sirius, not that I complain, but why did you give me keys?" Then his face became horror struck. "You're not giving me a diary, are you?"

Sirius laughed and ruffled through Harry's hair. "No, of course not! No, I decided it was time to teach you other means of transport besides your broom. It's something I bought for my fifteenth birthday."

"Oh my god! Sirius, Lily will kill you!" Remus hissed, having finally figured out what Sirius' gift exactly was.

"What? Why would my mother kill him?" Harry asked confused.

"Because that are the keys of my motorcycle. I'm going to teach you how to ride on it," Sirius grinned.

Harry's eyes lit up; he couldn't believe he would get to ride on a flying motorcycle!

"Thank you!" Harry flew out of his chair right into Sirius' lap and hugged him.

"No problem, pup," Sirius laughed.

Mrs. Weasley opened her mouth – presumably to protest – but Mister Weasley shook his head and she closed her mouth.

"Now, it's time to open my present," Draco announced and shoved the big box with holes in it carefully to Harry.

Sapphire jumped on Harry's shoulder and cocked her head, waiting for the box to open. Maybe afterwards her master would let her play in it. She narrowed her blue eyes when her sensitive nose piqued up a peculiar scent.

"You didn't have to buy me a present, Draco," Harry said, a little overwhelmed to receive so many presents.

"Harry, shut up and open the present," Draco said plainly.

Harry grinned and ripped the paper of the box. His mouth fell open when a little lion cub stared at him.

"Oh my god. Is this … a real lion?" Harry asked awed.

"Yes. It's a Nemean. Considering you're a Gryffindor, I thought it would suit you. I warn you, though, there is not much known about it, because it's so rare," Draco answered, pleased with the delighted look on Harry's face.

The little Nemean sniffed at the hand Harry offered and purred to let his new master know he had been accepted. Harry tilted the cub up and hold it in his arms. At first, he had been apprehensive about the flames, but to his surprise, he could touch them without hurting himself. In fact, the flames were comfortably warm.

"You're a cute one, aren't you?" Harry cooed softly and stroked the cub over his head. The Nemean purred.

"And, do you like your present?" Draco inquired, already knowing the answer.

"Of course I do! It's the coolest present I got! Well, except for the driving lessons," Harry added as an afterthought and hugged Draco. This hug lasted a bit longer, even if there was a lion cub between them.

"I think I will call him Ruby, because of his red eyes," Harry mused. Ruby butted his head against Harry's chin and purred even louder in approval.

Then Hermione came over. "I've never read about this creature before. It's fascinating. I have to look it up." Just when she reached out her hand to touch the cub, both Sapphire and Ruby extended their claws and swiped at her hand. Hermione yelped and sprang out of the way.

"Sapphire! Ruby!" Harry said shocked. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I guess they don't like to be touched."

Sapphire and Ruby pulled their claws back, looked at each other and nodded slightly, confirming something only they understood.

"Those cats are dangerous, Harry. Are you sure you want to keep them?" Ron asked, his face flushed and he clasped an arm around Hermione's shoulder.

"Of course! They just have to adapt to their new environment," Harry defended his new pets.

"If you say so, mate," Ron said hesitatingly.

Draco hid a smirk. Yes, it had been a good idea to buy that lion cub.

"You still have to open two presents, Harry," Lucius smiled. "This one is from me."

"You shouldn't have," Harry said, feeling flustered to have even received a gift from the older Malfoy.

"Nonsense. I'm glad to have found a gift."

Harry placed Ruby on the table next to the box and removed the paper from this box. His eyes widened when he heard something hissing.

" _Finally, I'm glad I can get out of this hideous box. I should have bitten that idiot harder for forcing me into this box."_ A white snake raised his head and fixated his purple eyes on Harry.

" _Hello, I'm Harry," _ Harry said, automatically speaking in Parseltongue.

" _You speak my language?"_ the snake asked surprised.

" _Yes. What's your name?"_

" _My name is Garin. I'm an Akeyra,"_ the snake answered.

" _That's a beautiful name; it fits you,"_ Harry praised.

" _Thank you, Master Harry. Can I rest in your neck? I'm tired and we, Akeyras, need a warm place to rest. I promise I won't bite,"_ Garin hissed.

" _Of course. Rest as long as you like,"_ Harry hissed and extended his arm. Garin slithered his way up to Harry's neck and curled around Harry's neck as if he was a scarf. Garin's skin was cool and soaked up Harry's body heat.

"I take it you approve of the snake?" Lucius asked.

Harry nodded, careful to avoid jostling Garin. "Oh yes. Thank you, Garin is perfect."

"Garin?" Remus asked.

"That's his name."

_Damn, Harry looks unbelievably hot with that snake around his neck. I wonder how he would look like if his shirt disappeared… No, focus! You can't get all excited in front of all these people,_ Draco chastised himself.

"Harry, are you going to let that – that thing sleep in your neck? That's gross!" Ron said horrified.

Harry frowned. "Ron, Garin can sleep where he wants. He says he needs heat to rest."

Ron looked even more disturbed, but didn't comment.

"Open your last present, Harry," Remus smiled, but silently wondered from who the present was.

Harry's last present was a book. "Snakes And Their Environment. How To Recognize Them," Harry read out loud.

"So that's what you bought in that shop!" Draco said to Snape.

Harry looked up surprised. "You bought a present for me, professor?" he asked shocked.

"Yes, I bought you something. I didn't fancy being bothered by two obnoxiously, annoying Malfoys. So there you have it," Snape answered brusquely, ignoring the shocked faces and the two huffs of the insulted Malfoys.

Harry smiled. "Thank you, professor," he said softly.

Snape nodded and ignored the warm feeling in his heart at the sight of Harry's grateful smile. He wasn't going soft and he definitely wouldn't buy that brat a present again, even if he had to put up with those Malfoys.

* * *

The rest of the day flew by, even with Ron ignoring Harry, because of all his expensive gifts – not that Harry noticed that, being occupied with his pets, Draco, Sirius and Remus.

That night, Harry slept in bed with Garin curled up on his chest, Sapphire sleeping next to his head and Ruby sleeping next to Harry's legs.


	11. Strained visit and request

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: a little bit of fluff and some violent thoughts
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 11: Strained visit and request**

A few days after Harry's birthday, Harry and Draco were watching Ruby and Sapphire playing in the garden. Garin was curled up on Harry's lap, sleeping peacefully. For the first time Draco was jealous of an animal; after all, that snake was sleeping in Harry's lap. He wondered how Harry would react if he crawled in his lap. Hm, Harry would probably kick him off. Yes, best wait with that until he had won Harry over. Without realizing it, Draco smiled.

"Why are you smiling?" Harry asked, smiling confused.

"Nothing special. Say, when will your godfather start with those motorcycle lessons?" Draco asked.

"In a few days," Harry answered. "He's searching for a place to teach me."

"Well, as long as you're careful," Draco said, not really at ease with the idea of Harry on a motorcycle.

"Aw, are you worried about me? That's so sweet," Harry laughed.

Draco scowled.

"Really, you don't need to worry about me. Sirius will be with me all the time. What can possibly happen?" Harry asked carelessly.

Draco raised an eyebrow. He didn't know Sirius that well, but he had seen enough to know that everything could happen when that man was in charge.

Harry blinked when he saw how sceptical Draco looked, thought and apparently came to the same conclusion as Draco. "I think it's best if Remus or someone else tags along," he mumbled.

"Good idea," Draco remarked.

They heard someone walking towards them and they turned their heads to see Ginny standing a few feet away of them.

_Is she's going to flirt with Harry, I'll make her life miserable. Nobody is allowed to flirt with my Harry. Only I can do that,_ Draco thought, not realizing how possessive he sounded.

"Harry, it's best you come back inside," Ginny smiled, her lips shining in the sunlight from all the lip gloss she'd put on.

_If she's not careful, she's going to blind someone with that amount of lip gloss on her mouth,_ Draco thought viciously.

At the sound of Ginny's voice, Sapphire and Ruby stopped playing and ran to Harry.

"Why?" Harry asked confused and scratched both cats behind their ears.

They purred, but showed their teeth when Ginny looked at them.

She gulped and paled a bit. "Professor Dumbledore arrived and he wants to see you."

Immediately, Harry tensed. Since he was under the custody of Sirius, he hadn't really thought about the Headmaster. To be honest, he had kind of forgotten Dumbledore existed. And now the old man was here – and he wanted to see Harry. What for? Did he just want to speak to Harry? Or… Would he sent Harry back to the Dursleys? Thinking about that possibility made Harry panic. He couldn't go back to the Dursleys! No, he couldn't! He was finally free! If he had to go back, then… Then… He couldn't even think about all the things the Dursleys would do to him.

Draco, who noticed how pale Harry had become, cursed silently. He didn't know exactly what Harry was thinking, but it was clearly something that made him panic.

"Harry, come on. Dumbledore wants to see you," Ginny said, not seeing that her crush was panicking.

"Weasley, go back inside. Harry and I will follow shortly," Draco said sharply. He had to think about a way to shake Harry out of his panic.

"But…" Ginny protested.

"Now," Draco said venomously. Garin hissed and Ruby and Sapphire growled.

Ginny huffed, muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "evil bastard", but went back inside.

"Harry, snap out of it, please. Nothing's going to happen, I promise," Draco soothed and embraced Harry. He rubbed soothing circles on Harry's back while Ruby and Sapphire rubbed their heads against Harry's thighs.

"Dursleys," Harry mumbled against Draco's shoulder.

"What?" Draco asked confused and shifted his body so that he could hold Harry better.

"He's going to send me back to the Dursleys. I don't want to go," Harry mumbled and hugged Draco around the waist.

"That's not going to happen, I swear. Black is now your legal guardian. Even that old coot can't change that. Besides, it's even stated in your parents' will that Black is your guardian," Draco said, trying to soothe the trembling boy in his arms. "If he tries to send you back, I'm certain he can't win against your godfather, Lupin or my father. I suspect Sev will even defend you if that means he can annoy the coot."

Harry chuckled weakly.

"There. That's better. It'll all be alright. Come, it's time to annoy the old bastard," Draco smiled and released Harry.

Harry took a deep breath and released it shakily. "All right." Then he frowned. "How come I always end up being comforted by you?"

"Because I'm the one who's always near you when you need the comfort. It's a curse, I think," Draco sighed dramatically.

"You poor thing," Harry chuckled.

"I beg to differ. I think I'm a lucky bastard," Draco grinned.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I'm the one who can hold that hot body of yours in my arms. Everybody envies me for that." Draco winked and was rewarded with a nice blush on Harry's face.

"Pervert!" Harry laughed and stood up. He placed Garin in his neck and hold out his hand to pull Draco up.

"But you love me for it," Draco chuckled.

Harry snorted. "No, I love you for your nice body. That's why I put up with you. Well, that and your pretty face." He winked.

Draco's mouth fell open. He hadn't known Harry had it in him to respond like that.

Harry turned his head when Draco didn't follow him. He smiled mischievously. "Coming, Draco?" he asked innocently.

"Yes, of course," Draco answered without thinking. Then he realized the double meaning of Harry's question and he blushed.

Harry burst out in laughter.

"Idiot!" Draco muttered, but smiled.

"Sorry, Draco, but I couldn't resist. You should have seen your face." Harry continued to chuckle.

Draco rolled his eyes, but didn't reply. He simply took a hold of Harry's wrist and dragged him to the kitchen, Ruby and Sapphire following them.

There they saw Sirius, Remus, Lucius, Snape, Mister and Mrs. Weasley, Tonks and Shacklebolt sitting at the table. Dumbledore was sitting at the top of the table in lime green robes with blue stars.

"My eyes. My eyes are burning," Draco mumbled.

Harry had to stifle a chuckle.

"Ah, Harry, my boy," Dumbledore said happily.

"Professor." Harry nodded, a bit tensed.

"You're looking well, my boy." His blue eyes twinkled.

"Thank you, sir. You look well too," Harry smiled strained. His whole body was tense, as if it was prepared to fight.

Dumbledore chuckled, seemingly unaware of the tense aura that hung in the kitchen. "For an old man like me, that's a compliment."

"Can you please continue, Dumbledore? Some of us have work to do," Snape said irritated and crossed his arms.

"Of course, Severus. Please, forgive me," Dumbledore smiled. Snape snorted. Blue eyes sharpened when they looked at Harry. "Harry, tell me, have you received other visions from Voldemort?"

Harry frowned. "No, nothing."

"Hmm. That's surprising. It could be that Voldemort has realized how dangerous his connection with you is. Or maybe…" Dumbledore looked thoughtful.

"Or maybe what?" Sirius asked annoyed.

"Maybe there are some wards here in this house that form a barrier between Harry's mind and that of Voldemort," Dumbledore answered slowly.

"I say that's a good thing," Sirius said brusquely.

"Yes, yes, I suppose so." Dumbledore nodded. "Say, Harry, can I speak with you in private for a moment?"

Harry knew that it was more an order, than a question, so he nodded hesitatingly.

"I'll wait here for you. Yell if you need someone," Draco whispered in Harry's ear.

Harry shivered a little when he felt Draco's hot breath tickling his ear and nodded. Not that he thought he would need someone. It was not as if the Headmaster would do something to him. But it was nice to know someone was there for him. For a split second, Harry wondered where Ron and Hermione were, but he shrugged those thoughts away. They were probably somewhere upstairs. Chances were big they were forbidden from participating at this meeting.

Harry followed Dumbledore to the hallway. From there they went into the living room. Both took a seat in front of the empty fireplace.

"Now, as I'm sure you have better things to do than chatting with an old man like myself, I will immediately come to the point. As I'm sure you know, Voldemort has been rising in power these last months and he doesn't hide his attacks anymore," Dumbledore began.

"Why doesn't he hide them anymore, sir?" Harry asked.

"Because the Wizarding World knows now he's back. Unfortunately for Tom, the attack in the Ministry didn't go as planned. His attempt to retrieve the prophecy was unsuccessful. He had to expose himself, in order not to let his task be so unsuccessful. I suspect it wasn't his intention to let the world know he was back so soon," Dumbledore answered.

"Oh." Harry nodded.

Suddenly, the door cracked open and Ruby and Sapphire came in, with Garin following them. The three animals glared at the Headmaster, before they settled themselves with Harry.

"I see you acquired some new pets," Dumbledore smiled, but his blue eyes flashed warily for a moment. He didn't recognize the two magical animals, but something about them didn't feel right. Maybe it was the way they clung to Harry. Whatever it was, Dumbledore didn't like it. Where did they come from? And why had they chosen Harry?

"Yes. They're beautiful, aren't they?" Harry smiled and stroked the three animals over their heads. "I got them for my birthday from Draco and Lucius."

"From the Malfoys?" Dumbledore repeated surprised. How come he hadn't known about it? What more did they kept from him?

"Yeah, I don't know where they got them from, though." Harry frowned, but shrugged.

"Well, they're beautiful animals," Dumbledore smiled. _Best to keep the boy happy,_ he thought. _It wouldn't do to alienate the boy. They were still at war, after all._

"Thank you," Harry smiled. Garin slithered his way up to Harry's neck.

" _Who is that old man that smells like lemon?"_ he asked, hissing in Harry's ear.

" _That's Dumbledore. He's the Headmaster of my school, "_ Harry answered.

" _I don't like that man,"_ Garin said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

" _Why not?"_ Harry asked surprised.

" _It's just a feeling. Be aware of him, Master Harry ,"_ Garin warned him.

" _Don't worry, I am,"_ Harry said.

" _Good."_ Garin nodded.

"Harry, can you hold your conversation elsewhere? I still have some important things to tell you," Dumbledore chided gently. Harry flushed, but nodded. Dumbledore smiled indulgently, but he had trouble with it. He hadn't heard Harry speaking in Parseltongue before and he regretted hearing it now. There was a reason why they called speaking Parseltongue a Dark skill. It was only because he needed that boy, that he had allowed him to get away with the language. It unnerved him, but he had to deal with it. For the time being. But after the war…

"Harry, considering the threat of Voldemort has grown, I've decided to take some of your lessons on my shoulders," Dumbledore continued.

"What do you mean with that, sir?" Harry asked. Inwardly, he was groaning; he couldn't believe he had to spend more time with that bastard.

"Basically, I'm going to teach you more in the fields of Defense against the Dark Arts, Charms and Occlumency," Dumbledore answered.

"Occlumency? I thought you had appointed Snape to teach me that," Harry said confused and absently stroked Ruby behind his ear.

"Professor Snape, Harry," Dumbledore corrected him. "And yes, initially, Severus would have taught you, but after certain… events, I decided it would be best if I tutored you."

"Oh." Harry nodded, but cursed silently. If he practiced Occlumency with Dumbledore, he would be in bigger problems than with Snape. At least Snape had known Harry couldn't stand him – Dumbledore still thought Harry was a good boy who obeyed him. If the Headmaster saw what Harry really thought about him…

Harry thought he would never see the day he wished for Snape to teach him something.

"I will send you a message when our lessons will start," Dumbledore said.

"All right. Eh, can I ask a question, sir?" Harry asked, suddenly struck with an idea. If Dumbledore gave his consent for this, Harry would have more options to use if he wanted to escape Dumbledore's company.

"Of course, Harry. Ask away." Dumbledore smiled, not aware of all the scheming Harry was doing.

"Have you found a new DADA teacher for this year, sir?" Harry asked.

The only sign Dumbledore was caught off guard with that sudden question, was the slightly widening of his eyes. "No, I haven't found anyone suited for the job yet. It's surprising how much people believe there is a curse on this job," the old man mused. "Why do you ask, my boy?"

"Can I make a… suggestion?" Harry hesitated to ask.

"Who do you have in mind, dear boy?" Dumbledore asked curiously.

"Well, eh, I thought you could hire… Remus again. I mean, he was a great teacher and he was the only one who taught us something useful. So I thought you could hire him again," Harry said hopefully.

"Well, it's an interesting idea. With Remus back on Hogwarts, we would have more defenses in case of an attack. And he was a great teacher, I admit," Dumbledore mused. "But what to do with full moon, I wonder. I don't think Severus will want to take over again."

"Eh, maybe you could let… Sirius help?" Harry suggested hesitatingly.

Dumbledore looked surprised.

"Now that his name is cleared, he wouldn't have trouble to go in public. And he told me he was good in Defense against the Dark Arts, so…" Harry trailed off, but still looked hopeful. With Sirius near, Dumbledore wouldn't bug him so much. Of course, that could be a reason why the Headmaster could say no.

"You have a point, Harry. Very well, I shall speak with them about this." Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully.

Harry could barely restrain himself from shouting in joy. He would have his family at Hogwarts! Inwardly, Harry did a victory dance.

"Was there something else you want to ask, Harry?" Dumbledore asked and inwardly sighed. What he didn't do to indulge that boy. If there only wasn't a war, he wouldn't have to indulge that boy so much.

"No, I don't have any more questions, sir," Harry answered.

"Very well. Seeing as our business here is done, would you mind sending Remus and Sirius in here? I think it's best if I talk with them about the job offer now. I'm afraid I will be extremely busy these next following weeks," Dumbledore said.

"Of course, sir. I will send them immediately," Harry replied and walked out of the room as calmly as he could with his pets following him.

When he walked into the kitchen, he nearly bounced towards Remus and Sirius.

"What did he say?" Sirius asked concerned.

Harry waved his hand. "No time now. You and Remus have to go to Dumbledore now, so that he can offer you the position of DADA teacher. Now go and accept that job," He said excitedly.

Sirius blinked. "Wha – a job?"

"Come on, before he leaves." Harry ushered the two stunned men out of the kitchen.

"Is that wolf coming back to teach?" Snape asked warily.

"Yes! And Sirius is going to teach too!" Harry replied happily.

"Great. I have to put up with the wolf and that mutt for a whole year now. Whose bright idea was it?" Snape asked scowling.

"Mine," Harry answered, smiling happily.

Snape narrowed his eyes and glared. "Draco, just how attached are you to that brat?"

"Attached enough to not let you harm him," Draco smirked and beckoned Harry to stand next to him.

"You know, I'm not a dog, Draco." Harry rolled his eyes, but complied and went to Draco.

"I think we can fix that with a collar and a leash. What do you think of that?" Draco smirked and gave Harry a glass of pumpkin juice.

Tonks nearly spit out her water when she heard what Draco had said and decided to stop eavesdropping.

"Aren't a leash and a collar too tacky for a Malfoy?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

Draco opened his mouth to answer, but Snape clamped a hand over his mouth.

"I prefer to not know how perverted you really are, Draco, so kindly shut up," Snape warned him.

"We, Malfoys, are not perverted, Severus. We simply have our own views on certain things," Lucius chided his friend.

"In other words, you're perverted," Snape said dryly. "Tell me, brat, how you managed to convince Albus to hire the wolf and the mutt. For that matter, why did you suggest them?"

"If they work at Hogwarts, I have more people to go to in case I want to escape Dumbledore's lessons. After all, it won't be my fault if they want to talk to me, will it?" Harry smiled innocently. "As for how I managed to convince him; I just merely made a suggestion."

"Lessons?" Draco asked suspiciously.

"I'll tell you later," Harry promised.

* * *

In the living room.

"You wanted to see us, Albus?" Remus asked and pulled Sirius down next to him on the couch.

"Yes, I have a preposition for you two. What do you think about accepting the position of Defense against the Dark Arts?" Dumbledore suggested with twinkling eyes.

"Both of us?" Sirius asked surprised.

Dumbledore nodded, smiling.

"But… the parents will object against me," Remus said confused. What had this brought on?

"Don't worry about that. I will deal with it," Dumbledore replied.

"Me teaching?" Sirius repeated dazed.

"Yes, you teaching, Padfoot," Remus said impatiently. "Not that I complain, but why do you ask us for this job?"

"Ah, for that, you will have to thank your godson. He was the one who made the suggestion," the Headmaster answered chuckling.

Remus and Sirius looked at each other; Harry had suggested them?

"So, what is your answer?" Dumbledore asked.

"I'll do it," Remus smiled.

"Yeah, all right, sign me up too," Sirius grinned.

"Excellent. Here, can you sign this contract?" Dumbledore clapped his hands and two paper rolls appeared in the air with two quills.

Hastily, both men signed the contract. As soon as the papers were signed, they disappeared again.

"Welcome to the staff, boys," Dumbledore smiled.

"Thank you," both men replied.

"However, I'm afraid I will have to address something more serious with you," Dumbledore began, and his eyes stopped twinkling.

Automatically, Sirius and Remus sat up more right.

"It's about Harry," Dumbledore said.

"What? Is there something wrong?" Sirius asked concerned.

"Not really. He's not in danger," Dumbledore reassured them.

"Then what's wrong?" Sirius asked impatiently.

"A week ago, I received a letter from his relatives, stating that they miss Harry and that they would like to see him," Dumbledore explained.

Sirius sprang up. "What! How dare they say that!? They don't give a shit about Harry!" he growled outraged.

"Now, now, Sirius. I'm sure there's a misunderstanding. They are his family; of course, they would miss him," Dumbledore said, frowning.

"Oh, please! They never cared about him. He was skin and bones when we picked him up, whereas his cousin was a fat pig. If starving him is a sign of how they love him, I'm scared to think of what they would do to punish him," Sirius sneered. "There's no way in hell I'll let Harry visit them."

"You can't decide who Harry visits, Sirius. You're his godfather, yes, but that doesn't give you a right to forbid the boy from seeing someone. Besides, I'm sure that if you ask Harry, he will be thrilled to see his family again. It has been nearly a month since he last saw them," Dumbledore said disapprovingly.

"Didn't you hear me? Those bastards starved my godson. They are lucky I haven't killed them. Harry doesn't want to see his family, so I refuse to force him to visit," Sirius growled dangerously.

"Now listen to me, Sirius. The Dursleys are his family and they have every right to see their nephew. I didn't say anything when the guardianship was transferred to you, but I still have the authority to place Harry back with his family, because of the blood wards. I don't want you to be deemed as a bad guardian, Sirius, so I'll give you some time to think your decision about Harry visiting his family over," Dumbledore said lowly, no smile on his face and no twinkle in his eyes.

Sirius and Remus understood the threat, even if it was never spoken out loud. If they didn't let Harry visit, he would be taken away from them, back to his family. They couldn't believe Dumbledore would threaten them. He had to know Harry was treated badly by his family and yet he still wanted to place Harry back. What was wrong with that man? Didn't he care? No, he probably didn't.

Remus glanced at Sirius and knew he had to handle quickly. If Sirius blew up and refused once again (which was a big possibility, seeing as how murderous he was looking now), they would lose Harry.

"Excuse us for a moment, while we discuss our decision," Remus said politely, although the wolf inside of him (and himself, he admitted) wanted nothing more than to rip Dumbledore's throat open and use his rib case as a xylophone.

"Of course, take your time." Dumbledore smiled again. What those two chose, didn't matter because in both cases he would win. Hm, maybe he should insist they let Harry stay at the Dursleys for a week.

Remus grabbed Sirius' arm and almost dragged him out of the room. He shut the door behind him and used a silencing spell, so that nobody would hear their conversation.

"Can you believe that, Moony? That sick son of a bitch threatens us and my godson! The nerve of him! Well, he can shove that visit up his arse and go to hell, because I won't let Harry go back to those bastards!" Sirius hissed and his eyes burned fiercely.

"Yes, and if you say that, Harry will be taken away from us," Remus replied angrily.

"Oh, so I should just let Harry go back, while I promised him he would never see them again? I don't break promises, especially not the ones I made to my godson," Sirius retorted harshly and crossed his arms.

"No, Sirius, you don't have to break your promise," Remus said calmly, while he was working out his plan. It was about time that Moony would get some play time.

Sirius, who suddenly saw a smirk appear on Remus' face (something that looked strange, considering the fact Remus was normally a gentle and sweet person) got excited. If Remus smiled that way, he had figured out a brilliant plan. "What's your plan, Moony?" he asked.

"We say to Dumbledore we let Harry visit the Dursleys. But instead of letting Harry go to those Muggles, we will be the ones who pay the visit. We find out why they wrote that letter and then we take a little… revenge, which will make sure those Muggles will never attempt to write a letter to Dumbledore again. What do you think?" Remus asked, his amber eyes flashing gold, a sign that Moony was very close to the surface.

"That's the most brilliant plan you ever invented, Moony! Damn, I love you," Sirius exclaimed and hugged Remus tightly.

Remus, who sported a suspicious blush, clapped his friend on the back. "I love you too, Padfoot. Now let go of me, you're suffocating me."

"Sorry. Come on, Moony. Let's go; you give the answer to Dumbledore."

"Why me?"

"I'm afraid I'll ruin our plan otherwise," Sirius smiled strained.

Remus' mouth formed an 'o' in understanding. He nodded and let the silencing spell fall. They went back in the living room and took their seats.

"I trust you made a wise decision?" Dumbledore inquired smiling.

Remus nodded stiffly. "Yes, we decided to let Harry visit. You're right, they are his only family – besides us," he added.

"I knew you would understand it. I'm glad you made the right decision," Dumbledore smiled. "Although I have another favour to ask."

Sirius tensed. "What favour?"

"I think it will be beneficial if Harry stays for a week with his family." Dumbledore still smiled, but his eyes warned them not to go against him.

"Of course, we understand." Remus nodded and tightened his grip on Sirius' arm to prevent him from saying something that could ruin their plan.

"Excellent! Unfortunately, I have to go. Have a good day." Dumbledore beamed and stood up.

"Thank you. You too have a nice day," Remus said politely. Sirius just settled for a smile.

Dumbledore waved and disappeared.

"I have a better idea - let's just bash that old bastard's head in," Sirius growled.

"It is a wonderful plan, Padfoot, but we still follow my plan," Remus said calmly. "But before we go search for some spells, let's go see our godson. I want to know what that old man said to him."

* * *

When they walked into the kitchen, they saw Harry standing with the two Malfoys and Snape. The scowl on Snape's face told them Harry had informed him about Sirius and Remus receiving a job.

Harry noticed them and smiled. "And did you accept the job?"

"Of course we did. We would be idiots to say no when our godson recommended us," Sirius chuckled and ruffled through Harry's hair.

"You know, I can make something decent of that hair of you, if you want," Draco offered.

"I'm not a doll, Draco. You stay away from my hair. Just stick to choosing my clothes." Harry rolled his eyes and batted Sirius' hand away.

"He chooses your clothes? I was not aware you weren't capable of dressing yourself, Potter," Snape snorted.

"I am capable! Your godson, on the other hand, goes into a hissy fit every time I try to choose clothes," Harry protested.

Sirius snickered.

"I don't go into a _'hissy fit_ '! You may capable of choosing clothes, but you can't match them even if your life depended on it," Draco retorted back insulted.

"Why would my life depend on matching clothes?" Harry asked, cocking his head in confusion.

"You're hopeless, Potter! I didn't mean that literally," Draco sighed and clapped his hand to his forehead.

"And you're a vain git, but you don't hear me complaining," Harry replied.

"That doesn't even make sense!" Draco threw his hands up.

"You insisting on dressing me every morning doesn't make sense either."

Snape sighed. "I knew I should have let Draco spend more time with me. Look how he turned out," he mumbled underneath his breath.

Draco hadn't heard the exact words of Snape, but knew him well enough to suspect it was an insult, so he glared.

"Stop glaring, Draco. It won't impress him; he practically invented the glare," Harry informed him.

Snape smirked.

Draco sighed, scowled for a moment and then stopped glaring.

"My son is whipped," Lucius sighed.

"I am not whipped," Draco retorted hotly.

"Draco, can you give me more pumpkin juice, please?" Harry asked and gave his glass to him.

"Of course, Harry," Draco smiled and filled the glass again.

"He's whipped," Snape confirmed.

"Oh, shut up," Draco grumbled.

"Can we talk to you?" Remus asked Harry, tired of the banter, although it was amusing to think of a Malfoy whipped.

"Sure." Harry shrugged.

"Let's go to the garden," Remus suggested. "I've noticed Hedwig sitting in the tree. I think she would be happy to have some treats."

Harry chuckled and grabbed the bag with the owl treats. Garin used the opportunity to slither up across Harry's arm to his neck.

"Can I come with you?" Draco asked, not willing to leave Harry's side.

"I don't see why not." Remus sighed silently. Draco was practically attached to Harry's hip. It was a wonder he didn't follow Harry in the shower.

"We're joining you as well," Lucius announced and rose out of his chair. "If I don't see some sunlight soon, I will get a depression."

"You just want to know what they will be speaking about." Snape rolled his eyes and sighed.

"That is not true. I just want to enjoy the summer breeze," Lucius huffed.

Snape shook his head, but didn't reply.

"Meow." Sapphire tapped her paw against Draco's leg, wanting his attention.

Draco looked down and smirked. "Want a lift?"

Sapphire purred and rubbed her head against his leg.

Draco raised an eyebrow amused and bent down to pick up the cat.

Sapphire dug her nails lightly in to support her and rested her eyes on her master. If one of those evil ginger things tried to touch her master again, she would do more damage than just a scratch. Sapphire still had to figure out what she would do to that wrinkly nasty smelling thing.

The group made their way outside and sat on the two benches. Harry whistled and his snow white owl, Hedwig, flew over. She perched herself on Harry's knee and didn't fly away when Ruby laid his head on Harry's lap. She was used to the other animals now.

"What did Dumbledore exactly say to you, Prongslet?" Sirius asked, slightly concerned.

"He said he's going to give me lessons in Defense against the Dark Arts, Charms and Occlumency, because Voldemort's back," Harry replied moodily. "Can't you teach me Occlumency, professor Snape?"

Snape hid his surprise. "I thought you hated me teaching you Occlumency, Potter? It wasn't a success."

"Occlumency is a pain in the arse," Harry admitted.

"Harry!" Remus scolded lightly.

"Sorry. Either way, you already know almost everything of me. Dumbledore doesn't. I reckon he won't be happy once he knows how I really think of him. With you, it won't make any difference." Harry shrugged.

"Do you want to learn Occlumency?"

"No, I'd rather not learn it, but I suppose I have to."

"I'll think about it."

"Oh and Harry, thank you for recommending us," Remus smiled gratefully.

"Why did you choose us, though?" Sirius asked curiously.

"You're the only ones who haven't tried to kill me and we will learn from you, something other DADA teachers didn't do," Harry answered lightly.

"Well, thank you," Remus chuckled.

"No problem. Say, Sirius, when will you start teaching me to drive?"

"I was thinking of starting the day after tomorrow," Sirius answered.

"Cool."

"I'll come with you," Remus and Draco both said at the same time.

Harry rolled his eyes and Sirius huffed.

"Don't you trust me?" Sirius pouted.

"It's just a precaution," Remus smiled.

* * *

The rest of the day was spent in the garden, lounging. Remus began to plot his plan. Oh, he would get revenge on those Muggles. They would rue the day they decided to hurt his cub. Yes, revenge would be sweet.

Never try to hurt a cub of a werewolf.


	12. Contemplating revenge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: a bit of spell violence; overprotective godfathers
> 
> Translation Latin spells (I apologize if they are wrong):   
> \- Abscondeo magica = I hide magic  
> -Transporta Harry Potter esuritionis = Transport the starvation of Harry Potter  
> -Senti Harry Potter solitudinis = Feel Harry Potter's loneliness  
> \- Experi Harry Potter doloris = Experience Harry Potter's pain
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter- J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 12: Contemplating revenge**

A few days after Dumbledore's visit, Remus and Sirius were searching for appropriate spells for their revenge. Remus did most of the searching, because Sirius wasn't fond of books and he spent most afternoons teaching Harry how to drive the motorcycle. The first few times Remus had joined them together with Draco (who refused to leave Harry out of his sight), but after being reassured Sirius could handle the teaching, he had spent his time in the library. Draco, on the other hand, couldn't be swayed to stay in the house for a few hours and insisted on going every time. Remus almost wished Harry had denied Draco's offer of friendship, but every time he saw Harry's face lightening up, he had to admit Draco's company was apparently good for his cub. Sadly, he couldn't say the same of Ron and Hermione.

Since Harry's birthday, things were… strained. Hermione was copying Mrs. Weasley and was constantly criticizing Harry. She didn't like his closeness to Draco and she didn't like it when Harry drove on the motorcycle. She thought it too dangerous and wanted Harry to do something more useful with his time, like doing his homework. Unfortunately for her, Harry had completed his homework weeks ago. When he mentioned that fact to her, she pursed her lips together, but didn't comment.   
Since that moment, her mouth tightened every time Harry disappeared to his motorcycle lessons.

Ron, for his part, looked as if he didn't know whose side to choose. If he chose for Harry, he would get Hermione mad, but he was also of the opinion that Harry spent too much time with Draco. It seemed Ron was afraid he was losing Harry to Draco. So in order to not call Hermione's wrath over him and to keep Harry happy, he said nothing. Nowadays, Ron and Hermione spent their time together, while Harry spent time with Draco. Remus would find it a shame if their friendship ended, because Ron and Hermione couldn't understand Harry's decision to have a friendship with Draco. Remus supposed things would get better when school started again, considering they would be living in the dorms and Draco lived in another dorm.

He looked up when the door opened and sighed when he saw who it was.

"Good afternoon, Ginny," he greeted her.

"Hello sir. Do you know where Harry is? I can't find him anywhere." Ginny pouted.

"He has driving lessons with Sirius. He won't be here for a couple of hours," Remus answered. Actually, they would be back in just an hour, but Ginny didn't need to know that. It wasn't nice, but he didn't want Ginny near Harry. She always had a predator like gleam in her eyes when she saw him and that irked Remus. He didn't know why he wanted Ginny as far as possible away from Harry, but he just had this feeling.

"Oh, that's a shame. Wait, where's Malfoy then?" Her brown eyes narrowed and they flashed jealously.

" _Draco_ ," Remus said, stressing the name, "has accompanied Harry and Sirius to their lesson."

"Why can he go? That's not fair," Ginny whined and pouted.

Remus cringed slightly at the whine. Having the sensitive hearing of a wolf wasn't always a joy. "Those are just driving lessons, Ginny, nothing interesting."

"And Harry is okay with Malfoy tailing along?" Ginny asked stunned.

"Oh yes. He is happy that Draco accompanies him. It's great they're such good friends now, isn't it?" Remus asked innocently.

Ginny gritted her teeth. "Well, tell me when Harry arrives, okay?"

"Of course." Remus smiled. Ginny closed the door and he heard her going upstairs. He smirked. "No chance in hell," he muttered.

"Since when does a goody – goody Gryffindor like you curse? At another Gryffindor, might I add," Snape suddenly spoke up and he appeared from behind a bookcase.

"Since when do you care?" Remus asked amused.

"Since I noticed that Miss Weasley isn't popular by you and the mutt," Snape answered and glanced at the books, spread out on the table. "I know you want to keep that girl away from Potter, but cursing her? Isn't that going a little too far? We still have to deal with Molly Weasley. I don't care if you curse that girl, but do it inconspicuously."

"How tempting it sounds to teach Ginny a little lesson, I can't," Remus grumbled.

"Still angry about what she tried to do on her birthday?" Snape inquired and sat down.

"She tried to slip Harry a love potion. I know we can't prove it was her, but I just have a feeling she can't be trusted near Harry. She's just lucky I couldn't prove it," Remus growled.

"Where are you going to spend the full moon? It's in a few days," Snape remarked casually, deciding it was too dangerous to keep talking about that Weasley girl.

"Sirius has provided me a room upstairs. He'll be the only one who can open and lock the door," Remus answered; surprised with the way Snape was acting.

"And it will be safe?" Snape inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"I won't be able to go out of the room. Nobody will get hurt," Remus answered tersely. He didn't like to think of how violent he got when he transformed. Hopefully, Moony would be much calmer when he got his revenge.

"Don't forget to drink your potion. Now, who are you going to curse?" Snape asked and crossed his legs.

"Why do you want to know?"

"I asked a question first, Lupin."

Remus hesitated. Snape may have helped them with Harry, but he was still… well, Snape. For a lack of a better word.

"I won't bite, Lupin," Snape said dryly.

"It's just…" Remus shook his head. "It doesn't matter if I tell you or not, because it's not like you're going to help me."

"Heaven forbid I help you," Snape smirked. "Now I'm intrigued. It's not every day a Gryffindor wants to curse somebody. Tell me."

"Sirius and I are going to curse the Dursleys," Remus muttered, trying to reign in his anger. Moony growled.

"And for what reason? Besides the obvious." Snape raised an eyebrow. Now, this conversation was getting interesting.

"They sent Dumbledore a letter, stating they miss Harry and they want to see him," Remus growled. His amber eyes changed into gold and he crumpled the paper in his fist. "Dumbledore ordered us to let Harry stay with the Dursleys for a week."

"And you complied, why?" Snape had a feeling that if they let the brat go to those Muggles, things would get worse. He still had to figure out how he would get Potter to open up and talk and if he went back… Severus grimaced. If someone had told his a year ago, he would care a bit (a bit, because this was still Potter and he wouldn't get soft!) about Potter, he would have cursed that person to hell.

"Because he threatened to take Harry away from us! Something along the lines that Sirius would be deemed as a bad guardian," Remus said angrily.

Snape blinked. For Dumbledore to resolve to obvious threatening, he would have to be a bit desperate. Did he know he was losing his control over the boy or was he just taking precautions?

"So, Sirius and I figured that if we cursed those Muggles, they wouldn't dare to send Dumbledore letters again. We let Dumbledore believe Harry will visit them, but of course we won't let him," Remus explained.

"Does Potter know about this?"

"Of course not. He would panic for nothing."

"And how will you get away when you're going to curse those Muggles? Even that brat will notice that you'll be gone; he's not that oblivious," Snape scoffed.

"I figured Draco and you could distract him for a few hours," Remus replied hopefully. Draco wouldn't be a problem; he would gladly distract Harry, but he alone wasn't enough.

"I can't." Snape shook his head.

"I understand that you and Harry don't get along, but can't you do this for just a few hours? It's not like it's going to kill you. You don't even have to talk much to Harry; Draco will do that." Remus tried to convince the Potions Master. Convince, not beg. He was still a Marauder, after all, and Marauders didn't beg.

"It's not like that. I can't distract him, because I'm joining in on the revenge," Snape said, his black eyes unreadable.

"What?" Remus stared dumbfounded. His brain couldn't comprehend the fact that Snape offered his… help?

"Are you deaf? I said I'm joining in on the revenge," Snape snapped. "If you're going to get revenge on those lowlifes, you need the Slytherin type of revenge."

Intrigued, Remus leaned forward. "What type of revenge are you talking about?"

"That depends. Is it acceptable if they die a terrible and painful death?" Snape inquired.

For a moment, Remus was tempted to say yes, but he figured that would be too merciful.

"I'm all for the painful suffering, but we can't let them die. That would be too easy. No, if you know spells to let them suffer, please, feel free to tell," Remus said eagerly.

"I know some books, but I have to ask Lucius for that, because he has those books. Or are you against informing him of your revenge?" Snape asked.

"Oh no. Unless he's going to stop us, he can know about it," Remus assured him.

"Moony, we're back!" Sirius came bouncing in the room, with Harry and Draco following.

"How did the lesson go?" Remus asked smiling and with a wave of his wand, he vanished the books. No need to let Harry know what they were planning to do to his relatives.

"Brilliant! I don't need lessons anymore!" Harry beamed.

"I still think you need to drive slower," Draco said annoyed.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I hardly go faster than when I fly. It's not as if driving a motorcycle is more dangerous than flying. Quit worrying."

Draco scowled.

"Well, I think this call for a celebration. Why don't we go to a restaurant?" Remus suggested and stood up.

"Sounds good to me." Sirius grinned and stretched. Being outside all afternoons to teach Harry how to drive, had giving him a nice tan. With his hair in a decent cut and his fitting clothes, he almost looked completely like he was when he was younger and Remus found himself slightly blushing when he looked at Sirius' bare tanned stomach.

"Can Draco come too?" Harry asked.

"Don't see why not." Sirius shrugged.

"Severus, are you coming with us too?" Remus asked.

"I may tolerate you Gryffindors more than a few months ago, but that doesn't mean that I am foolish enough to go to a restaurant with you," Snape scoffed.

"Come on, sir, with you glaring at the waitress, we may get a discount," Harry grinned, but then gulped when he realized what he had said.

But instead of threatening the boy with bodily harm for daring to insult a teacher, Snape only smirked. "If you want a discount on your food, brat, just use your status as a hero. You may even get the dinner for free. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to speak with Lucius." With that said, he left the room, leaving behind the other occupants very baffled.

"Think I can get away with insulting him when we're back at school?" Harry asked, breaking the silence.

"I think you were lucky that Sev was in a good mood. Now, come on. I'm hungry. Let's go celebrating the fact that you can now drive to your own death," Draco replied, grabbed Harry's wrist and led him out of the room.

"How many times do I have to tell you that – oh, hey, Sapphire – that I'm not going to die driving! It's perfectly safe." Harry said irritated. "Hello Garin."

"It's scary how much Draco sometimes acts like Lilyflower. Think she's using his body to check on Harry?" Sirius asked grinning.

Remus shook his head. "You're impossible sometimes. Let's go find out how long it will take to convince the restaurant to let Harry's pets in, shall we?"

"With our charms, it'll be arranged in just a few seconds," Sirius chuckled and steered Remus out of the room with his arm around Remus' shoulders, not noticing the blush Remus sported when coming into contact with Sirius.

* * *

A few days later, Remus and Sirius were sitting in the garden, watching over Draco and Harry, who were lying down on a blanket on the grass, reading their books, with Harry's pets cuddled to them.

Remus felt a presence behind him and turned around to see Snape and Lucius standing in the shadows, each with an old book in their hands.

"Do you have a moment?" Lucius asked.

"Of course." Remus nodded and pulled Sirius along with him. They stepped further into the shadows, making sure nobody could hear them.

"Severus has explained your desire for revenge to me and I want to join as well," Lucius said calmly.

_What is it with Slytherins and revenge? They are so eager, it's no wonder nobody trusts them,_ Remus thought.

"Why?" Sirius asked confused.

"Because I want to know why those lowlifes wrote a letter, when they were so eager to see him leave. And it'll be fun to see them suffering," Lucius smirked.

"And you wonder why people are suspicious when they meet you," Sirius muttered.

Remus elbowed him. "Did you find some spells?"

"Of course. I made sure it was suited for them," Lucius smirked. "Though I have to warn you: these spells are of a dark nature. Nothing too dark," he hurried to add when he saw the alarmed look in Remus' eyes. "They will not kill them; it will just make them suffer."

"Can we see it?" Sirius held out his hands, eager to find out what kind of spells the Slytherins had chosen.

Snape nodded and he and Lucius handed over the books to the former Gryffindors.

Grey and amber eyes widened and gleamed when they read the effects of the spells. Both men smirked viciously.

Snape, eyeing the smirks, said, "I take it you like our choice of spells?"

"Oh yes, this will do," Sirius smirked and his eyes burned murderously.

"When do you want to curse the Muggles?" Snape asked.

"Tomorrow," Remus answered immediately.

"Very well. I suggest we make a visit at six p.m. That way, we're certain they will be home," Lucius suggested.

"Sounds like a plan to me." Sirius nodded.

"How many days until the full moon?" Lucius inquired politely.

"It's in three days, why?" Remus asked curiously.

"In case you want to bite their heads off. That way I know we have to hold you back. Wouldn't want their blood to leave stains, you see. It's so hard to get blood stains out of your clothes," Lucius replied lightly.

Remus chuckled and shook his head.

* * *

The following evening at five thirty p.m., the four men stood in the hallway, ready to curse the people who dared to call themselves Harry's family.

"Does everyone know the spells?" Lucius asked.

The other three men nodded. Remus would curse Petunia; Sirius would curse Vernon and Snape would take care of Dudley, because he wasn't that innocent either. Lucius wouldn't take actively part of the revenge, but he would make sure that the Ministry wouldn't be alerted at the signs of magic in that house.

"Where are you guys going?" the voice of Harry suddenly asked.

The men jumped lightly and turned around to see Harry standing on the stairs, confused. "It's nearly six," he continued, wanting an explanation.

"We have some… Order business to do, pup. It won't take long," Sirius promised.

Harry narrowed his eyes. "You're not going after Death Eaters, are you?"

"No, cub, we simply have to check something," Remus replied.

"And you need to do this with all four of you," Harry raised an eyebrow sceptically.

_Of all the times he needs to be observant, he decides to be it now,_ Sirius inwardly groaned.

"Not exactly. We have different things to check," Remus lied quickly. He hated lying to his cub, but in this case it was necessary. He couldn't possible tell Harry that they were planning to curse his family, now could they?

"Will it be dangerous?" Harry asked uncertainly.

"No, Potter. It won't be dangerous, so you don't need to rush into things because you want to 'save' us," Snape scoffed.

Harry glared. "Wait until you're in danger and I'm the only one who can save you. See if I do."

"I suspect I'll be the one to save your ungrateful arse, seeing as you'll bring us into more danger with your saving," Snape retorted.

Harry opened his mouth to retort, but was interrupted by Remus.

"Harry, we'll be perfectly safe. Nothing's going to happen," Remus soothed him. "Why don't you go find Draco or Ron and Hermione? We'll be back soon, I promise."

"Fine," Harry huffed and stormed back up the stairs.

The men winced when they heard the BANG of the door when Harry slammed it shut.

"He may look like Prongs, but he has obviously Lily's temper," Sirius grimaced.

"Let's just hope he has calmed down when we're back," Remus sighed.

The four men went outside and Apparated to an alley near Privet Drive.

"Ready?" Lucius asked.

After the affirmative response, they started the walk to Privet Drive number four. Before they rang the doorbell, Lucius whispered, "Abscondeo magica."

A light blue light shot out his wand and seemed to crash into something. For a few seconds, the wards around the house shimmered when it absorbed the spell, but then returned to normal.

After a nod from Lucius, Remus rang the doorbell. A few seconds later, they heard heavy footsteps coming to the door.

"I don't care what you sell, we're not buying…" Vernon Dursley narrowed his pig eyes when he recognized the four men standing on his porch. "Oh, it's you."

"May we come in?" Lucius asked politely.

"If you must," Vernon grunted and gestured towards the living room, checking if anyone outside had seen them.

It took all of Sirius' willpower to not strangle that fat bastard to death. One look at Remus let him know that the man was sharing the same desire.

Petunia's mouth dropped when she saw the men and she hugged Dudley protectively to her side. The crisps Dudley was shoveling into his mouth fell on his shirt when he noticed the strange people and Snape sneered.

"Have you brought that boy with you?" Vernon asked, his eyes glinting and he tried to look around the men as if he expected to see his nephew standing there.

"Before we answer that, we want to know why you sent that letter to the Headmaster, in which you claimed to miss him," Snape asked, fingering his wand in his pocket.

"He's family," Vernon answered curtly.

"That's a strange word coming from you, Dursley. A few weeks ago, you were happy to see Harry go. Do you honestly think we would believe you when you said you miss him? Unlike you, we do possess brains," Sirius sneered.

"Now wait a minute! You're in my house and you will show respect!" Vernon said furiously.

In a few steps, Remus stood before Vernon with his wand pointing at his throat. "If you think I show respect to someone who abuses children, you are wrong," Remus growled.

Petunia screamed and wanted to grab Vernon, when she was stopped by a wand raised at her face. "Don't even think about it," Sirius hissed.

"Severus, why don't you check his mind? I don't have the patience to deal with that," Lucius suggested sighing.

"You owe me," Snape muttered, but went to stand next to Remus. "Legilimens." Immediately, Snape ducked into the memories, shifting between them to see which one would be useful. He stopped at a memory of fifteen years ago. Baby Potter was laying in his blanket on the table, watching his uncle reading a letter which had been stuck in the blanket.

Snape read the letter. It was from Dumbledore. He explained the reasons why Harry had to stay there; his parents dead, the bloodwards, the protection he would gain… The last couple of lines of the letter caught his attention. Dumbledore promised the Dursleys a monthly payment of 6000 pounds to use for Harry's care.

The memory Vernon said to his wife, "Petunia, I've decided that we keep that brat."

"But why, Vernon? I don't want that freak to hurt our Dudley." Petunia frowned.

"I know, but if we keep that thing, we get 6000 pounds each month! Imagine what we can do with that money!" Vernon's eyes glinted with greed.

Disgusted, Snape pulled himself back from Vernon's memories.

"And?" Lucius raised an eyebrow.

"They receive each month 6000 pounds to take care of Potter, although it's obvious they spend it on other things," Snape answered, disgust clearly leaking through his voice.

"Well, I'm not sure about you, but I have had enough," Sirius growled and raised his wand at Vernon.

"For once I agree with you, mutt," Snape said coolly and pointed his wand at Dudley.

"Let's do this," Remus said grimly.

"Wait, what are you doing…" Vernon's panicked shout was cut off when Sirius yelled, "Transporta Harry Potter esuritionis!"

A dark purple light shot out of his wand and disappeared into Vernon's stomach whose stomach suddenly constricted. With a groan, Vernon clutched his stomach and doubled forward.

Taking this as a cue, Remus shouted, "Senti Harry Potter solitudinis!" A black light enveloped Petunia's heart and she gasped.

Lastly, it was Snape's turn and he calmly said, "Experi Harry Potter doloris." A red light, dark as blood, reached Dudley and penetrated his mind. Dudley blinked stupidly, not grasping the grave situation.

"Because we're such polite gentlemen, we will tell you what the effects of these curses are." Lucius smirked. "You," he pointed with his cane towards Vernon, "will feel the hunger Harry felt under your care. How much you'll eat, it will never be enough. You will feel hungry all the time. You," now he pointed at Petunia, "will experience the loneliness Harry felt all those years. Every day you will have moments where the loneliness will hit you with full force. Don't expect to feel happy. And lastly, your son will feel all the pain he inflicted on Harry. I hope for his sake Harry never broke something, because then he will feel like hell."

The faces of the Dursleys went white and they didn't seem able to respond.

"Don't ever dare to send the Headmaster a letter again or you will find yourselves in extremely cruciating pain," Remus growled. He and Sirius stormed out of the room.

"Don't worry, the curses will disappear when you feel truly regret. Until then, good luck," Snape smirked darkly.

The four men were just back in the alley, when Dudley began screaming in agony, feeling all of Harry's pain all at once.

* * *

When the four men were back at Grimmauld Place, they were greeted by a smiling Harry, who then went to the kitchen with his pets following him.

Sirius gaped. "I thought he was angry with us."

"He was," Draco's voice answered behind them on the stairs. "I just gave him the chance to vent his frustration. Then I helped him beating Weasley with chess. That cheered him up." Draco walked towards them. "But if you ever manage to upset him like that again, I'll make sure you won't dare to go to sleep," he said in a dangerous voice.

"What?" Sirius looked confused.

"Harry thought you were doing something dangerous and he was immensely worried. Next time you go away, be so kind to give a better explanation," Draco growled and then disappeared into the kitchen.

"Well, we know now for sure he won't hurt Harry," Remus smiled weakly.

"I can't believe that impertinent brat had the nerve to threaten us," Snape muttered.

Lucius just shook his head. He wasn't surprised at the show of Draco's protectiveness. After all, Malfoys were known for fiercely protecting those they considered family. And the way those two boys were going, Harry could practically be considered family.

* * *

The following day, Remus was found in the library, with a begging Harry.

"Please, Remus." Harry widened his eyes a bit to achieve the puppy look.

Remus laughed. "But Harry, I already know you can drive."

"Yes, but there is a difference between knowing and seeing it for yourself," Harry retorted. "Please, I just want to show it to you. Besides, if you see for yourself how safe I drive, maybe Draco will finally believe me."

Smiling, Remus shook his head. "I knew you had an ulterior motive. Fine, I will accompany you."

"Thank you!" Harry beamed and hugged Remus quickly. "Come on, Sirius said we can go now."

Remus chuckled and followed Harry downstairs. There, Sirius stood waiting for them.

"Where is Draco?" Harry asked when he didn't see the blond.

"He had to accompany his father. He told me – well, ordered to be precise – to tell you he was sorry he couldn't come too and that you better stay alive or there will be hell to pay," Sirius recited it from memory.

A small pang of disappointment rang through Harry, but he shrugged it off. He didn't need Draco all the time with him, just so he could enjoy himself, right?

"Oh, well, let's go anyway," Harry said.

The two men nodded. "All right, let's head to Abbey Road," Sirius smiled and walked outside with Harry and Remus following him.

Neither one noticed the pair of brown eyes watching them leave, nor did they hear soft footsteps following them.

Sirius, Remus and Harry arrived at the deserted road and Harry climbed on the motorcycle, after having safety spells casted on him; the wizard equivalent of a jacket and a helmet.

Sirius and Remus seated themselves on the bench in the shadows of the trees. With a wide grin, Harry started the motorcycle and drove in wide circles on Abbey Road. It wasn't as great as flying, but it came close enough for Harry and he enjoyed his ride immensely.

"He's good, isn't he?" Remus remarked, smiling at seeing Harry's excited face.

"Of course he is. I was his teacher; what did you expect?" Sirius replied arrogantly.

Remus smacked his thigh. "Arrogant arse."

"But you love me all the same." Sirius stuck his tongue out and grinned.

"I still wonder why," Remus mumbled.

"Hey!" Sirius exclaimed insulted.

Before Remus could retort, his sensitive nose caught the smell of sickly sweet flowers and when he quickly turned around to see who it was, he saw Ginny Weasley standing next to a tree with the Pygmy Puff she got for her birthday in her hands.

"Ginny, what are you doing here?" Remus asked baffled.

She smiled brightly. "I wanted to see Harry driving the motorcycle. He looks good on it, doesn't he?" she sighed happily.

Sirius rolled his eyes.

Remus rubbed his temples. It was only two days until the full moon and like always, he was tired. He really didn't want to deal with the Weasley girl now. "Ginny, listen…"

"Oh no!" she gasped and to Remus' and Sirius' terror, they saw the Pygmy Puff jumping out of her hands and running towards Harry's path.

Harry had just taken a turn, when he suddenly saw something furry appear on his path.

"Shit!" he cursed and in order to avoid squashing the thing, he had to swerve to his right. However, he didn't have full control over the motorcycle, crashed and flew a couple of feet through the air, before hitting his head on a rock.

"Shit!" Remus yelled and ran towards Harry, hoping he was all right.

Ginny gulped in fear when she met the furious gaze of Sirius.

"Grab that fucking thing and get the fuck back, before I strangle you!" he hissed and rushed towards his godson.

With trembling legs, Ginny picked up her pet and ran back to the house.

"My head hurts," Harry moaned and struggled to sit up.

"No, Harry, lay still. We have to take care of the wound," Remus said worriedly and softly pushed his handkerchief to the bleeding cut on Harry's forehead where he had hit the rock.

Harry hissed when he felt the pressure and closed his eyes.

"I take you back, Harry," Sirius said worriedly, for once not smiling. Gently, he took Harry in his arms and shifted his head so that Harry could comfortably rest his head on his shoulder, while Remus followed with the motorcycle.

* * *

Sirius laid Harry on his bed and Remus firecalled Snape, who was at Hogwarts. As a Potions Master, Snape knew about healing.

Upon hearing what happened, Snape came immediately through the Floo, carrying a bag.

Snape checked Harry's forehead. "If I'm not saving you, I have to fix you up. How did this happen? You're not even at school yet," he scolded and cleaned the wound.

Harry winced at the sting. "I don't know what happened. It all went too fast."

"Ginny decided to come too and she let her Pygmy Puff loose," Remus growled. "How could she be so stupid?"

"That's Weasley for you," Snape muttered and mumbled a healing spell. Immediately, the cut healed and Snape gave Harry a potion. "Here, drink this. It will cure you concussion."

"Thanks," Harry muttered tiredly and gulped the potion down, grimacing all the way.

The men looked at the door when they heard the knock.

"Is everything all right with Harry?" Ginny asked nervously.

"Yes, but no thanks to you!" Sirius growled viciously.

Ginny bit on her lip. "I'm really sorry. I didn't think…"

"That's right, you didn't!" Sirius hissed.

Remus grabbed Ginny's arm and pulled her outside.

"Professor, you have to believe me when I say I'm sorry," Ginny begged.

"That might be, but Harry still got injured. He was lucky it wasn't so bad. Miss Weasley, I don't remember I or Sirius giving you permission to follow us," Remus said coldly. He was having a struggle with Moony, who demanded to get out to tear the girl apart who had dared to hurt his cub.

"But I figured since Malfoy always came, I could…" Ginny began to protest.

"Draco got permission and he didn't bring animals with him that could endanger Harry," Remus said impatiently. "I suggest you stay away from us for the next days."

"But…"

"Listen, it takes all my strength right now to keep Moony away from you. All he wants to do right now, is tear you apart, limb for limb because you hurt our cub. Stay away from us, before Moony gets his chance," Remus said, his voice cold as ice.

Ginny burst out in tears and ran away.

Remus breathed in and out deeply to calm himself. He knew he would have to deal with Molly soon, but for now he just wanted to check on his cub.

He passed Snape and he nodded curtly.

Remus sat next to Harry who had fallen asleep. Sirius looked at him and gave his hand a soft squeeze. Remus smiled softly.

* * *

Later that night, Draco discovered what had happened to Harry and although Harry had completely healed, (without leaving a scar for which Harry was grateful for – he didn't need another scar on his forehead; one was enough) he still had been sent in a fit of worry, which later had made place for fury when he discovered Ginny was responsible for the accident.

Even though Harry tried to stop him, Draco went in search for that 'ginger bitch' and held a screaming match against her.

It had taken three men (Snape, Lucius and Remus – although the latter was rather reluctant to do so) to drag him away from Ginny; leaving the girl crying – again.

Even with his father's reprimand, Draco went to sleep satisfied. Harry was fine and he had had the chance to vent his frustrations against the Weasley girl.

Even better, in a few weeks, they would return to Hogwarts where Harry would undoubtedly be put in Slytherin due to the ritual. And then he could finally begin with making Harry his.

Yes, life could not get better.


	13. Surprising OWL's and school supplies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm, nothing in particular that requires a warning
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 13: Surprising OWL's and school supplies**

The days after the accident, Harry discovered something - Malfoys were extreme in their worrying. Even though Harry assured Draco time and time again, the blond boy insisted on checking Harry's head every morning. And every morning he asked the same thing, "Do you have a headache?"

Harry had to answer 'no' every time. The only headaches he had experienced, was after the accident and when he woke up the following morning. That last headache had nothing to do with the accident, but more with the fact that Sirius and Mrs. Weasley had been arguing – again. For some reason, they really couldn't get along with each other this summer.

_**Flashback** _

Draco and Harry raised their eyebrows when they heard the voices of Sirius and Mrs. Weasley getting louder. It was impossible to sleep through that, so Harry suggested, "Fancy checking what's happening downstairs?"

"Yes, I would like to know what they're arguing about now." Draco grimaced when Mrs. Weasley's voice went a pitch higher. "I know now where Weasley gets his loud temper from," he muttered.

They walked past Ron's room and heard his loud snoring.

"How he can sleep through that is beyond me, but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised," Harry muttered.

Draco raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment.

" _Master Harry, wait for us. "_  Harry heard Garin hissing. Harry came to a halt and turned around. Draco, who hadn't expected this, kept walking until he didn't feel Harry's body heat anymore.

"Harry?" he questioned.

"Yeah, sorry, Garin wanted a lift," Harry explained while Garin settled himself in his neck. His two cats, Ruby and Sapphire, peered from behind his legs and purred.

The two boys and the pets sneaked down the now fairly clean stairs and stopped right before the kitchen. The kitchen door wasn't closed; there was still a crack. Draco and Harry peered through the crack. There weren't many people in the kitchen; only Remus, Sirius, Tonks and Mrs. Weasley.

"Stop blaming Ginny! That poor girl…" Mrs. Weasley ranted.

"Poor girl? Your daughter was the reason Harry had an accident!" Sirius hissed.

"Excuse me? Who said it was Ginny's fault? Have you thought of the possibility that Harry isn't a good driver?" Mrs. Weasley snarled.

"What! Harry is an excellent driver! It was that Pygmy Puff of your daughter that caused Harry to swerve and slip!" Sirius snarled back.

Before Mrs. Weasley could retort, Remus spoke up, "Molly, the fact stays that Ginny's pet caused the accident. If Ginny hadn't been there, nothing would have happened. She shouldn't have been there." His tone was calm, but cold.

"You don't have anything to say over her! Besides, you didn't put up a fight when that Malfoy boy wanted to join you! And he had more reasons to hurt Harry!" Mrs. Weasley said furiously, her cheeks a flaming red.

Harry's face hardened. Why did everyone insist on thinking Draco would hurt Harry? Did they think Harry wasn't capable of choosing his own friends? If Draco had wanted to hurt him, he would have done that by now. Draco had even made an attempt to be civil towards Ron and Hermione. He couldn't prove himself more, could he? Harry balled his fists.

Draco just shook his head; he was used to the prejudices of the Weasley family. It didn't hurt him. He glanced at Harry, saw his hardened face and couldn't help but smile softly. He should have known Harry would be insulted on his behalf. It felt… nice to know Harry cared enough for him to be willing to defend him against the Weasleys.

"For the love of Merlin! Would you give that boy a break? He has done nothing but be a good friend to Harry. Why do you keep holding on to old prejudices?" Sirius yelled frustrated.

"That's rich coming from you! You accuse me of holding on to old prejudices, but you do it too! Severus, for example. All you do is picking fights! And don't tell me you trusted the Malfoys immediately!" Mrs. Weasley snapped.

"I admit I didn't trust the Malfoys at first, but they have proven they can be trusted. They even gave Harry birthday presents, when they didn't have to. And as for Snape - well, we haven't killed each other," Sirius huffed and crossed his arms.

"Just make sure Ginny can't do more harm. I don't want Harry to end up in Saint Mungos," Remus said annoyed. He looked tired and Harry suspected it was because of the full moon tonight.

"Ginny wouldn't do something like that! I won't keep Ginny away from Harry. She has every right to be with Harry, even more than Malfoy!" Mrs. Weasley said angrily.

Sirius snorted. "The only reason why you want Ginny near Harry is because you want them to become a couple."

"Ew." Harry grimaced. "She's practically a sister to me. How can Mrs. Weasley expect that? That's nasty."

Draco chuckled softly, but was happy to hear that. One opponent less to worry about.

Mrs. Weasley went redder. "So what if I want that? They would make a beautiful couple. You can't deny that."

Sirius made a gagging sound. "Oh, please, they won't make a good couple. They're practically 'family'," Sirius said the last word sarcastically.

"I'm sure that Harry will think otherwise," Mrs. Weasley said stiffly.

"Yeah, sure, if Harry has an Oedipus complex," Sirius snorted.

At that, Mrs. Weasley stormed out of the kitchen, fury visible on her face. Harry and Draco just had enough time to duck in the shadows, before they were discovered.

"Don't you think you went a little too far?" Tonks asked nervously.

Sirius waved his hand. "It's time she's taking a few notches down. That woman has been working on my nerves the whole summer. Who does she think she is: meddling in other people's lives, deciding who Harry should befriend and who he ends up with? Please."

"Tonks, shouldn't you go before you're late for work?" Remus remarked and he took a sip from his coffee.

Startled, Tonks checked her watch. "Damn, you're right. I should go before Kingsley gets mad. Good luck tonight, Remus."

Remus made a non-committal sound and nodded.

Harry and Draco waited a few moments, before they joined Sirius and Remus, so the men wouldn't know they had eavesdropped.

_**End Flashback** _

Since that argument, the air between Sirius and Mrs. Weasley was strained. They didn't start another fight, but they didn't speak to each other, except when they were forced to. Harry tried to stay out of Mrs. Weasley's reach, because he didn't want to be involved if Mrs. Weasley started another argument.

He would have spent his time with Ron and Hermione, but that had been proven rather difficult. Ron hadn't been really difficult, though he had sort of insisted that Harry should forgive Ginny, because she hadn't caused the accident on purpose. Harry had done that, because he didn't want to destroy the peace he had finally acquired with Ron after his announcement that he had befriended Draco – although Ron still didn't want to speak to Draco.

The one who was being difficult was Hermione. Since the accident with the motorcycle, she had taken to nagging and lecturing him every chance she got. She had known his motorcycle 'adventure' would end badly, he should have been more careful… Harry almost exploded when she said Sirius hadn't been responsible enough. He could take it when she nagged at him – after almost six years of spending time with her, he was used to her lectures – but she had no right to insult Sirius. He had felt his magic crackling and itching to lash out, so he had left the room, in hopes he could calm down.

Four hours later, when he saw his friends back, Hermione didn't say another word about either the motorcycle of Sirius, so Harry assumed Ron had talked to her. However, their conversations since then were strained and Harry wondered how things between them would go when they were back at Hogwarts.

* * *

On the morning of the twenty-fifth of August, Draco woke up to see a grinning Harry sitting next to him on his bed. He blinked and discreetly pinched himself to check if he was awake or not. Ouch. That hurt. Yes, he was definitely awake. But then, why was Harry sitting on his bed?

"Good morning, Draco," Harry smiled.

"Eh, good morning. What are you doing on my bed, Harry?" Draco asked confused.

"Waiting for you to wake up. You're cute when you sleep," Harry teased, his green eyes shining with amusement.

Draco wacked him with his pillow. "I'm not cute! Handsome, yes. Cute, no."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Anyway, today's the day we get our OWL results. Aren't you excited?" he asked, getting excited himself.

"A bit. Not much," Draco replied and eyed Harry warily. "Are you going to jump in excitement like a kid?"

This time, it was Harry who wacked him with the pillow. "Idiot," he huffed and stood up.

"Go and take a shower," Harry told him. He was wearing a light blue jeans with a green T – shirt. "After we get our letters, we're going to Diagon Alley for our school stuff."

"They let you go to Diagon Alley?" Draco asked sceptically and sat up.

Harry grimaced. "Yes, but some of the Order will accompany us."

"You're not happy with that," Draco stated.

"Of course I'm not happy with that. It's not as if Voldemort will pop up from behind a trash can to kill me." Harry scowled. Then he brightened up. "Will you shop with me? At least then I won't pay too much attention to my escorts."

"Sure. No problem," Draco smiled.

"Good, see you in few." With that, Harry almost skipped out of the room.

Draco chuckled and stood up. He wondered how the Order members would react if they saw him standing next to Harry.

When Harry arrived in the kitchen, he saw Sirius and Remus sitting at one end of the table; Hermione, Ron and Ginny in the middle and Mrs. Weasley was busy with cooking while her husband was reading the newspaper. He decided to take the place next to his godfather, who looked up smiling.

"Nervous about the OWL results?" Sirius asked.

"A little," Harry admitted.

"Don't worry. I'm sure you did fine," Sirius assured him.

"Hey Harry, aren't they giving the badge for Quidditch Captain too?" Ron asked.

"I think so. I wonder who gets it in our team," Harry mused.

"There's no question you'll be the Captain. I mean, it's obvious," Ron said smiling, but something flashed in his eyes.

"Maybe." Harry shrugged.

Just then, Draco walked in. He was dressed in dark jeans and a white shirt; the first two buttons were left open and Harry averted his eyes quickly, not understanding why the sight of Draco's bare skin made him feel flustered. Silver grey eyes scanned the table until they found Harry. Because the chair next to Harry was next to Ron, Draco decided to sit next to Remus.

"Good morning. Have the letters arrived yet?" he asked and filled his and Harry's cup with coffee. He added milk and sugar to Harry's coffee and placed the mug in front of Harry, not noticing how Remus raised an eyebrow.

"No, not yet, but…" Harry began to say, but was interrupted by three owls flying into the kitchen. They landed in front of Ron, Hermione and Ginny and stuck their legs out so they could be relieved from their burden.

"Eh, why aren't our letters here?" Harry asked confused.

"Here are your letters." Snape's voice suddenly spoke from the doorway. "I decided to bring them, in case there weren't enough owls."

"Thank you… I think," Harry said confused and held out his hand.

Snape dropped the letters and took a seat next to Draco. Ron opened his mouth to say something, but apparently decided to not comment.

Harry took a deep breath and opened his letter. First was the letter with all the supplies they would need. Then there was the letter with his results. He saw Hermione trying to open hers with shaking hands and Ron's had taken on a delicate green shade.

Finally, Harry opened his letter and read it.

_Ordinary Wizarding Level Results_

_Passing Grades: Outstanding (O)_

_Exceeds Expectations (E)_

_Acceptable (A)_

_Failing Grades: Poor (P)_

_Dreadful (D)_

_Troll (T)_

_Harry James Potter has achieved:_

_Astronomy: A_

_Care of Magical Creatures: O_

_Charms: O_

_Defence against the Dark Arts: O_

_Divination: P_

_Herbology: E_

_History of Magic: D_

_Potions: E_

_Transfiguration: E_

Harry sighed relieved, though he was baffled. He had gotten three O's and only had two failures! He had known he would fail Divination and he hadn't expected he would do well in History of Magic, because he had collapsed halfway through the exam, but that was all right. He was more than happy with his O in Defence against the Dark Arts and Charms and he had even managed an E in both Potions and Transfiguration. It was only too bad that he would have to give up his dream of being an Auror, seeing as Snape didn't take students into his lessons who received an E. Harry felt slightly disappointed with that, but figured he could always find something else as a job. If need be, he could always play Quidditch.

"Let me see," Sirius said and leaned over to read Harry's letter. His eyes grew wide. "Wow, Moony, check this. Harry got three Outstandings for Charms, Care of Magical Creatures and Defence against the Dark Arts! And three E's for Herbology, Transfiguration and Potions! I'm so proud of you, Prongslet," Sirius grinned and ruffled through Harry's hair.

His godson blushed, not used to someone being proud of him.

Remus read the letter and smiled proudly.

"But I didn't have an O in Potions and now I can't study for an Auror, because you need Potions for that and now I can't get into the class," Harry said sadly.

"What are you talking about, Potter? Didn't you read the letter? It says you need the book 'Advanced Potion-Making' by Libatius Borage. Correct me if I'm wrong, but generally that means you're in the class," Snape said, slightly impatient.

Draco smiled slightly; he knew he could count on his godfather.

"But I thought I needed an O for your class, sir?" Harry said baffled.

"It was decided that the ones with an E were allowed to follow my class too. The Ministry thinks it would be beneficial if students know how to protect themselves with potions. I only thank Merlin Longbottom didn't manage to get an E," Snape sneered. No way was he telling Potter that he only got in because his godson threatened him.

"Neville isn't so bad." Harry felt the need to defend his friend.

Snape snorted. "He blew up four cauldrons and melted five others. And I'm not even counting the times when he managed to hurt himself."

"Harry, can I see your results?" Ron asked and switched their results. His eyes widened when he saw the three O's. He hadn't gotten one O. "Blimey, Harry, you got three O's! Although it was to be expected you'd be top of the class with DADA. We've done well. Say, where's your Captain badge?" he then asked, searching for the badge.

"The Captain badges will be given at the end of the feast in Hogwarts, due to something that the Headmaster has planned," Snape answered stiffly.

"What has he planned?" Ron asked surprised.

"It's not your business, Weasley. You have to wait for the feast," Snape replied curtly.

"Hey 'Mione, can we see your results?" Ron asked moodily, because Snape wouldn't tell them anything about Dumbledore's plan.

Hermione was white in her face. "An E? I only got an E? How dare she? I made perfect exams!" she cried out furiously and smacked the letter down. Harry and Ron glanced at it. Hermione had gotten an O in Charms, Herbology, Arithmancy and Potions, but an E in Defence against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration and Ancient Runes.

Draco snickered quietly; it felt good to know Granger wasn't perfect in everything.

"It's not so bad, 'Mione." Harry tried to console her, but inwardly was irritated that the girl was furious because she only got an E. Honestly, getting an E wasn't the end of the world! Well, except for Hermione.

"Yeah, you can still follow the subjects," Ron tried and was met with a glare.

"Well, we better go to Diagon Alley. These supplies aren't going to buy themselves. And Ron, we're getting you new robes. I'm so proud of you. Seven passing grades; that's more than Fred and George acquired together," Mrs. Weasley smiled proudly and hugged her son.

"How do we get there?" Ginny asked.

"We'll be Apparating, because the Ministry won't allow us to borrow cars," Remus answered.

"Who's joining us?" Harry asked curiously.

"I, Sirius, Molly, Tonks, Shacklebolt and a few Aurors," Remus replied. "The Aurors are waiting for us in the Leaky Cauldron. Come on, take your letters, we're going outside to Apparate."

The group followed Remus outside, where Tonks and Shacklebolt were waiting. Shacklebolt nodded and Tonks waved happily.

"All right; Ginny, you Apparate with me, Ron you go with Shacklebolt, Hermione you go with Tonks, Harry with Sirius and Mal – Draco with Remus," Mrs. Weasley ordered, covering up her slip.

They all nodded and grabbed the arms of the ones they were assigned to. Harry waited until his stomach stopped turning and opened his eyes. They were standing in a small, filthy alley near the Leaky Cauldron. They joined the Aurors in the pub and departed to the magical shopping street.

After half an hour of waiting, they all had a bag with gold. Before they could go shopping, they were divided into two groups: Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, Ron, Tonks and two Aurors were in one group and Harry, Draco, Sirius, Remus, Hermione, Shacklebolt and two other Aurors in the other group.

Hermione, still sulking because she received some E's instead of O's, crossed her arms and decided to take this opportunity to keep an eye on Draco. Even if he hadn't done anything these past weeks – for that Hermione was annoyed, because she couldn't catch him - she didn't trust him. Just because Harry was so naïve to believe Draco had changed, she wasn't naïve. She knew Malfoy was up to something and she would discover it. She had to protect Harry against his own good heart and his quickness to forgive. After all, it wouldn't do to let Harry associate with a future Death Eater. Because that was what Malfoy was going to be. There was no doubt about it. She just had to collect evidence and then Malfoy would be locked up. Harry would be upset, but she would be there to console him.

Their first stop was the bookstore, where they collected their books. After that, they went to the Apothecary for their Potions ingredients and Madame Malkin for their new robes. Finally, the two groups met again in front of the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, the joke shop of Fred and George.

"Please, can we visit the shop, mum?" Ginny asked excitedly.

Mrs. Weasley seemed flustered and sighed. "Fine, let's go inside."

The big group entered the shop and was immediately assaulted by the various bright colors and sounds.

Sirius grinned and rubbed his hands. "This is even better than Zonko's."

"I must say they have a fine sense for business," Draco commented, taking in the people scattered around in the shop. It was obvious the shop was popular. Harry would even bet the Weasley twins were more popular than Zonko's.

"Did you hear that, George? Draco Malfoy had just paid us a compliment," Fred said grinning, coming up to them from beside them.

"Such a great shock. I nearly had a heart attack," George grinned too and stood next to his brother. Both were wearing fuchsia robes, which clashed with their orange red hair.

"If we had known you would be civil enough to give us a compliment with Harry as your friend," George began.

"We would have slipped you our 'Become instantly friends with your Enemy' potion ages ago," Fred finished.

"You actually made such a potion?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow amused.

"Yeah, just a few weeks ago. Come on, we'll give you a tour." George slung his arm around Harry's shoulders and led him away to the back.

The twins and Harry entered another room. This room was filled with various bottles, stones, boxes, bright colored hats, robes and even necklaces.

"These are our new inventions. Those hats there," Fred pointed, "are spelled with a Shield Charm. We thought it would be funny if you put on this hat and then dare your friend to curse you. Imagine his face if all his curses are reflected back to him."

"We thought it would be fun as a joke, but the Ministry had ordered five hundred of them for the Aurors and there are still orders coming in!" George exclaimed. "We expanded the line with gloves and robes. It's good you taught us some excellent Shield Charms, Harry."

"We also invented stones that explodes when they hit the ground and they create a smoke screen; ideal for escaping," Fred explained further.

"Those necklaces over there can protect you against most of the curses and they change colour if something poisonous is near you," George said.

"Wow, those are really great inventions. I'm impressed," Harry said amazed.

"It's all thank to you, Harry. If you hadn't given us that money, we wouldn't be able to realize all this. Here." George gave him four of the protecting necklaces.

"How much is this?" Harry asked and reached for his money bag.

Fred shook his head. "No, no, Harry. Those are for free."

"But I can't possibly accept this," Harry protested.

"Yes, you can. You're the one who gave us the money to open this shop. We won't accept your money," Fred said stubbornly.

"Well, if you're sure about this," Harry sighed and pocketed the necklaces.

"We're sure," George said.

"Harry, your godfather says we need to go." Draco appeared in the doorway.

"All right, I'm coming. See you next time, Fred, George." Harry waved.

"Bye Harry," they both chorused.

When they walked outside, Harry noticed the bag Draco was holding.

"You bought something in their shop?" Harry asked surprised.

Draco nodded. "Yes, I have to admit those Weasleys have some decent stuff."

"What did you buy?" Harry asked curiously.

"Instant Darkness Powder. I thought it could be useful," Draco replied.

"Oh."

They left the Aurors behind and Apparated back to Grimmauld Place. Tonks and Shacklebolt had to leave for some Order work. Harry had just walked downstairs, after putting his supplies and necklaces away, when Hermione dragged him into a room.

"'Mione, what's up?" Harry asked.

"Don't you think it's suspicious that Malfoy bought that Powder?" Hermione asked nervously.

"Why would that be suspicious?" Harry asked confused.

"It's just… Why would he need that?" Hermione asked, doing her best not to anger Harry.

"He thought if could come in handy." Harry shrugged. "Please, Hermione, why can't you just trust him?"

Hermione bit her lip. "I'm… sorry, Harry, it's just… I can't trust him."

Harry sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Well, I for one trust him. I know he won't do anything to us. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find Sirius."

Hermione sighed dejected.

That night, Harry could feel the excitement growing. He would go to Hogwarts in a few days. Before he fell asleep, he wondered what Dumbledore was planning.


	14. Leaving for Hogwarts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: eh, nothing special, really. Some small bonding moment between Remus and Harry
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 14: Leaving for Hogwarts**

The following days were hectic in Grimmauld Place. Besides searching for their books, quills, parchment and clothes (their stuff had mysteriously spread all over the house), they still had some cleaning to do, because Mrs. Weasley insisted on cleaning the house as much as they could.

Meanwhile, Harry had difficulties with handling his friendship with Draco and his friendship with Ron and Hermione. Ron still didn't want to acknowledge Draco – which suited the blond fine, because then he wasn't forced to talk back – and Hermione was suspicious of Draco, because he had bought that Powder.

Harry didn't understand what the problem was. Draco had bought that Instant Darkness Powder, so what? It wasn't a crime to buy that. He tried to tell that to Hermione, but she stubbornly disagreed. She didn't want to believe Draco had changed. Harry had expected Ron's resistance, but he had honestly thought Hermione would have been willing to give Draco a chance. After all, she had been the one who constantly lectured everyone on peace and friendship between the four Houses. That same girl was now refusing to give a Slytherin a chance. This frustrated Harry to no end; he didn't want to choose between Hermione and Ron and Draco. The irony of all this was that Draco was willing to be civil. He hadn't had once insulted Ron or Hermione after their first encounter. If Harry had to be honest, he would have to say Draco was being a better friend than Ron and Hermione now.

Three days before they would leave for Hogwarts, Harry decided to try for the last time to convince Hermione of Draco's change.

Draco was talking to Snape about Potions, so Harry took his chance.

"Hermione, can I talk to you?" Harry asked when he spotted her in the library.

She looked up from the book she was reading. "Of course, Harry."

Harry took the seat across from Hermione. He cleared his throat. "It's about Draco."

As expected, Hermione frowned. "Harry, we already talked about this."

"Just hear me out, please," Harry begged.

Hermione sighed, but nodded.

"I know we had differences with Draco in the past and I don't say that what he did to us was right. It wasn't. He insulted and hexed us, but 'Mione, we did the same to him. It's not like we're innocent," Harry said uncomfortably. "But Draco apologized and…"

"Not to me or Ron," Hermione interjected.

"I know that, but you don't give him the chance to do that," Harry replied annoyed. "You won't talk to him or look at him; you completely ignore him. How is he supposed to apologize if you won't listen? Please, Hermione, Draco has really changed. Why won't you give him a chance?"

"Harry, too much has happened to just forgive him. I'm sorry to say this, but I don't believe Malfoy has changed, nor do I trust him. Tell me, Harry, what do you think will happen when we're back at school?" Hermione asked impatiently. "He may be friendly now, but what happens when he's back with his friends? I personally believe that chances are slim Malfoy still wants to be friends with you. He's a Slytherin, Harry. I don't think his reasons to befriend you were pure."

"What do you mean with that?" Harry asked through clenched teeth.

"Come on, Harry, use your brain," Hermione replied annoyed. Really, for being so famous, good at DADA and outsmarting You – Know – Who, he could be really thick sometimes. Actually, now that she thought about it, his fame and his skills in DADA were the only things that made Harry remarkable. If you took those two things away from him, he would be nothing but a plain boy, probably not even worth to acknowledge, she mused. She shook her head; now was not the time to think about that. "You're the famous Harry Potter; if he's friends with you, the public won't dare to do something against him. I'm sorry, Harry, but I think he's just using you for your fame. It would be best to drop him and to use your energy on your real friends - I and Ron," she continued gently and reached out to touch Harry's hand.

Abruptly, Harry stood up. "Thank you for enlightening me about Draco's motives to befriend me," he said coldly and walked out of the library, leaving a stunned Hermione behind.

Harry stalked through the corridors of Grimmauld Place, angry and hurt. Was it really so hard to believe that someone wanted to be friends with him, just because they liked him and not because of his fame? Or was he really that unlikeable? Briefly, Harry wondered why his sight was so blurry, before he realized that tears had formed in his eyes. Angrily, he swiped the tears away, cursing himself for being so weak to cry. Really, which sixteen year old boy cried, because a friend said some harsh things? By now he should be used to hear harsh things said to him, considering he had lived almost fifteen years with the Dursleys. So why did this hurt? Because Hermione had said this to him? Or because he was afraid that Hermione was right and Draco only used him for his fame?

Harry almost fell on the floor when he collided with someone. Two strong arms shot out and grabbed him around his chest to avoid his fall.

"Thanks," Harry mumbled when he was safely standing.

"Harry, is something wrong?" the concerned voice of Remus asked.

Harry looked up, but avoided the concerned amber coloured eyes. "I'm fine."

"I don't have to be a Legilimens to know when something's troubling you. Your face is easy to read, cub; come on, let's sit down," Remus said and opened a door, which coincidentally led to Sirius' room. Sirius wasn't here, but Remus stirred the sixteen year old to the bed and closed the door, before sitting next to the boy.

Harry pulled his legs up and clasped his arms around them and placed his chin on his knees.

"Tell me what happened that made you upset," Remus said gently.

"I'm not upset," Harry retorted stubbornly.

"Harry, don't lie to me. I want to help you, but I can't do that if you won't tell me what's wrong," Remus replied patiently. He had experience with coaxing someone to tell what was wrong. James had been just as difficult as Harry was being now. Stubbornness and refusing to talk about their troubles was clearly running in the Potter family.

"It's stupid," Harry muttered, a blush of shame forming on his cheeks.

"It's not stupid if it upsets you. I won't laugh or think different about you, cub. I just want to know what happened, so I can help you," Remus replied.

Harry sighed; Remus clearly wouldn't give up. Wonderful.

"I tried to talk with Hermione about Draco," Harry muttered.

"Ah." Remus was silent for a moment. Then he asked, "How did it go?"

"Not well. I tried to convince her to give him a chance to show he has changed. She won't give him a chance; she said she doesn't trust him," Harry answered.

Remus furrowed his eyebrows. "But that's not the reason you're upset."

Harry began to fiddle with his fingers; a blush of shame creeping up again.

A hand was laid on his hands to stop the fiddling. "Harry, what did Hermione say to make you so upset?" Remus asked gently.

Harry bit on his lip and avoided the older man's gaze. "She said that Draco only wants to be my friend, because I'm famous," he finally mumbled almost inaudibly.

Remus thanked for the first time his werewolf senses, because without them, he wouldn't have been able to hear what Harry had said. He sighed. "Cub, you don't honestly believe that Draco only uses you for your fame, do you?"

"I don't know. Hermione is the smartest witch in our year; maybe she's right about Draco," Harry mumbled, sounding hurt.

Without thinking, Remus embraced Harry and pulled him towards his side. "She may be the smartest witch, but that doesn't mean she's all knowing. Believe me when I say that Draco's not using you; he truly wants to be your friend."

"How can you be sure of that?" Harry asked in a small voice.

"Besides the fact that he's practically attached to your hip, he also threatened us with severe harm if we ever upset you again, after we returned from that checkup. He was really scary. Trust me; he doesn't use you," Remus said and soothingly stroked a hand through Harry's unruly hair.

"Then why did Hermione say those things?"

"Maybe she's jealous that you found another friend and scared that Draco will take you away from her and Ron," Remus tried to form an explanation.

"That's stupid. They're still my friends; Draco is just a friend of me too. Why's that so hard to accept?" Harry muttered.

"I don't know, cub," Remus sighed.

Harry yawned softly; the soothing hand through his hair made him sleepy. He wasn't used to this calming gesture, because he never had someone before in his life willing to soothe him and he decided to enjoy it while it lasted. His eyes closed and his head fell on Remus' shoulder when sleep took over.

Remus looked down when he felt the weight on his shoulder and smiled softly. He glanced at his watch; ten past three. He decided to let Harry sleep. Carefully he arranged Harry so that he was lying down on Sirius' bed. He stood up to leave so Harry could sleep in peace, but was stopped by a hand. Remus looked down, surprised.

"Don' go," Harry murmured, but he appeared to be sleeping.

Remus hesitated; he really should go back to help Sirius with his lesson plan. The idiot had left it until today to finish it. On the other hand, Sirius was an adult; he should be able to handle his lesson plan. And Harry looked like he needed him more.

"All right, I'll stay," Remus whispered and settled himself against the head board and resumed his stroking through Harry's hair.

* * *

When Sirius finally found them after a long search, (because really, who expected that his best friend and godson would be up in his room) he saw Harry still sleeping and Remus sleeping with his hand in Harry's hair.

Sirius didn't know what had happened that had led to this, but he shrugged. He closed the door and tiptoed to the staircase. Best to let them sleep. Then he cursed; who would help him now with his lesson plan? He sighed; he would have to wait until Remus woke up. After that, he would also pester Remus as to what had happened with Harry.

* * *

Two days later, there was chaos in Grimmauld Place. Everyone's trunks had to be placed in the hallway, together with the owl cages. Harry stubbornly refused to place his cats and snake in cages, so they followed him everywhere he went (well, Sapphire and Ruby followed him, Garin was curled around his neck) to Mrs. Weasley's annoyance. She had opened her mouth to berate Harry, but two sharp glances of Sirius and Remus shut her up.

The group would be escorted by Tonks, Shacklebolt and Moody. Mister Weasley had managed to borrow some cars (that was of course because of Lucius' influence at the Ministry). Lucius would accompany them to the train too, before heading to his Manor in Wales.

When the clock struck half past ten, it was time to depart. The Weasleys, Hermione, Lucius and Tonks were placed in one enlarged car and Harry, Draco, Sirius, Remus, Shacklebolt and Moody were in the second enlarged car.

Moody's magical eye swirled in every possible direction, but his normal eye was fixated on the animals that were sitting in Harry's lap, regarding them with amused interest.

Harry stared out of the window, lost in thought. He wondered whether Draco would want to sit with him in the train or whether he would prefer to sit with his friends. And why should he care if Draco chose to sit with his friends? He had every right to. Besides, he had spent almost all his time this summer with Harry. Harry understood that Draco would want to spend time with his friends, but…

He started when a hand tapped his shoulder.

"Harry, we're at the station," Draco informed him.

"Oh, okay," Harry muttered and got out of the car.

They all placed their trunks and owl cages on caddies and walked to the wall that would lead them to platform nine three quarters.

Because a lion (a lion with fire on his body) would attract unwanted attention, they had covered Ruby in a cloak. He was hidden between Harry's trunk and his body from sight. Sapphire had settled herself on Draco's trunk and her blue eyes were observing the vicinity.

"We will go through the wall by two. Ginny, dear, you go first with me and Ron, you follow with Arthur," Mrs. Weasley ordered.

"Hermione, you're stuck with me, girl," Tonks laughed happily. "We're after Ron."

Hermione smiled weakly.

"Harry, we go after them," Remus smiled and laid a hand on his shoulder.

Harry nodded and smiled.

"That leaves you with me, Draco," Sirius said.

"I don't have a problem with that," Draco smirked.

"I'm glad to hear that," Sirius snorted and crossed his arms.

'We only have ten minutes left; I suggest we leave now," the deep voice of Shacklebolt informed them.

Mister Weasley nodded. "You're right. Come on, children."

One by one, each small group disappeared through the wall, leaving the Muggle world behind.

They were just through the barrier, when a familiar male voice called.

"Draco! Long time no see!" A boy with light brown skin color and half long dark hair grinned and approached the group. His chocolate brown eyes shone mischievously.

"Blaise, what are you doing here? I thought you were in Hogwarts," Draco said surprised.

Blaise shrugged. "The old coot decided it would be best for appearances if we took the train too. Theo's already on the train, though; he's pissed because he doesn't see the point of this. I don't see the point either."

"So Pansy is here too?" Draco asked grimacing. He really didn't want to see that annoying, whining girl.

"No. Our royal highness has locked herself up in her room and she refused to come." Blaise rolled his eyes.

"I hope she stays there," Draco muttered under his breath.

"Draco, I hope you have a nice term and don't let the fool notice you," Lucius said and squeezed Draco's shoulder quickly. He nodded to Blaise. "You too, Blaise, have a nice term."

Blaise bowed his head. "Thank you, sir."

Lucius nodded curtly and disappeared.

At that moment, Blaise's attention was caught by someone standing behind Draco. He whistled softly.

"Sweet Merlin, that's one hot guy. I wonder who that is," he mused while his eyes roamed over that person's body. "Now that's a fine arse."

Draco turned around to see who Blaise was talking about and promptly jabbed his elbow in his friend's ribs.

"Ooph, why did you do that?" Blaise growled and rubbed his ribs. That would leave a bruise.

"That's Harry you're talking about," Draco informed him, smiling strained.

"No way. Harry as in Harry Potter?" Blaise asked incredulously.

Draco nodded.

"Well damn. He's done a complete change. I wouldn't mind getting locked up with him in a closet. I always wondered how Gryffindors are in bed," Blaise grinned perversely.

"Continue those thoughts and you suffer the consequences, Blaise. You stay away from him, understood?" Draco hissed and his grey eyes shone dangerously.

Blaise gulped and held up his hands in defeat. He knew Draco well and didn't doubt for one second Draco wouldn't carry out his threat. "I didn't know you had set your eyes on him."

"It doesn't matter; don't try anything," Draco warned him.

"Draco, Sapphire hasn't escaped, has she?" Harry asked worriedly and stood next to him.

"No, she's still here."

Harry looked up. "Oh, hello, Zabini," he greeted carefully.

"Hello, Potter," Blaise grinned. "So, you're friends with Draco now."

"Yes."

Blaise clapped his shoulder and laughed. "Don't worry. I'm not going to bite. Friends of Draco are friends of me."

Harry visibly relaxed. "Okay."

"Harry, we have to go to the teachers' compartment. We'll see you at school, okay?" Sirius appeared behind Harry and ruffled his hair.

"Okay, see you at school," Harry smiled.

Remus and Sirius waved and walked to the front of the train.

Blaise gaped. "What are Lupin and Black doing here?"

"They're going to teach Defence against the Dark Arts," Harry informed him smiling.

"Both?"

Draco nodded.

"Come on; let's go find a free carriage. Harry, are you sitting with us?" Draco asked and took his trunk.

Harry's eyes lit up and he nodded, relieved that Draco would still want to spend time with him.

"Aren't you going to wait for your friends, Potter?" Blaise asked curiously.

"Call me Harry. Hermione and Ron have to do their tasks as Headgirl and Headboy, so they won't be joining us for a while," Harry answered.

Blaise nodded in understanding and the three boys went on a search for an empty compartment. They found one at the end of the train. After a brief struggle, they had all their trunks on the train and in the carriage. Sapphire jumped off of Draco's trunk and settled herself on the table.

Harry sat in the seat next to the window and Draco took the seat next to the dark haired boy. Blaise sat across from Harry.

"Hey Harry, why did you – what the fuck is that?" he suddenly exclaimed and pointed at something near the door.

Harry and Draco looked and chuckled when they saw a cloak standing there.

"Sorry, I forgot to warn you; I have another pet. That's Ruby, a Nemean," Harry explained.

Ruby shrugged the cloak off and patted towards his master. He stopped before the legs of Harry and dropped his head on Harry's knees; he purred when Harry scratched behind his ear.

"A pet? You call that a pet? That's a fucking lion!" Blaise blurted out, not able to believe what he saw.

"Way to point out the obvious, idiot," Draco said sarcastically.

"Oh, shut up, I have a right to be surprised," Blaise snapped, eyeing the lion before him warily.

"Don't worry, Ruby isn't dangerous," Harry assured him. He bit his lip. "The thing is, I don't have a clue as to how we're going to sneak Ruby in the castle without anyone seeing him. I don't want to be asked numerous questions."

"You're right, but how are we going to do that? It would be easy if Ruby could turn invisible," Draco mused and stared at nothing in particular while thinking about the problem.

"Your wish came true, Draco," Blaise replied baffled.

"What?" Draco asked confused and looked down. His mouth fell open when, instead of seeing the Nemean, he was looking at Harry's knees and the floor. "Did Ruby run off?"

"No, he's still here… only invisible, apparently," Harry said dumbfounded.

They were all startled when Ruby appeared again.

"Well, I suppose that problem is solved," Harry said dryly.

The three boys started talking about their summer. Blaise was greatly amused when they told him about the destruction of Mrs. Black, laughed when he heard a bomb had destroyed Weasley's and Granger's room and was awed when he was told about the prank on Snape.

"You have my respect, Harry," Blaise told him. "Nobody has dared to prank Snape. I'm surprised you're still alive."

"To be honest, I was surprised too," Harry laughed.

Soon after that, they were interrupted. They heard a bunch of girls giggling and whispering.

"Go on, go in and talk to him."

"No way. I'm too nervous!"

"Get out the way; I'll go talk to him," an arrogant sounding girl said.

Draco raised an eyebrow.

The door slid open and revealed a girl with long, slightly curly, black hair, black eyes and a tanned skin. She wore a short, plaited, black skirt and a blue tank top.

The girl smirked. "Hello Harry, I'm Romilda Vane."

"Eh, hi." Harry shifted uncomfortably. Something about that girl's smirk made him nervous.

Romilda walked further into the compartment, completely ignoring the two other boys. "I was wondering if you would join us – meaning, my friends and I – in our compartment," she asked, smiling and batted her eyelashes while twirling a lock between her fingers.

"Not to insult you, but I rather stay here," Harry replied.

"Oh, but Harry, surely you don't want to stay here with these," she wrinkled her nose in disgust, "Slytherins."

Harry's eyes flashed in anger. "I don't care that they are Slytherins – we're friends now," he said through clenched teeth.

Romilda looked taken back with that announcement, but recovered quickly. She leaned towards Harry and placed her hands on his knees, giving him a view of her cleavage. "Aw, Harry, I thought you would like it better if you spend some time with us, Ravenclaws. I didn't mean to upset you," she purred.

Harry opened his mouth to retort, but was interrupted by Romilda's shriek.

"A snake!" she yelled and jumped out of the compartment and shut the door. A second later, the boys could hear the girls running away.

Harry looked down and saw that Garin had revealed himself from under his shirt. He was hissing angrily.

_" Stupid girl. Couldn't take the hint that she had to leave."_

_"Did you bite her?"_ Harry hissed concerned. Annoying or not, Romilda didn't deserve to be bitten. If only because it would cause trouble for Harry.

_" No, I didn't bite her. She would have tasted horrible,"_ Garin replied and after checking the compartment, he disappeared again underneath Harry's shirt.

Harry chuckled when he heard Garin's answer.

"Say, Harry, how many pets do you have hidden? Was that the last one or do you have a spider hidden in your sleeve?" Blaise asked with one raised eyebrow. Although he wouldn't admit it, he was scared half to death when the snake had popped out.

"No, that was the last pet I gave to Harry," Draco smirked. He enjoyed himself with replaying the scene in his mind. It served the girl right. Who did she think she was, intruding on them and trying to persuade Harry to leave them?

"Yes, this is Garin, an Akeyra. He's a beautiful snake, isn't he?" Harry said fondly.

"Eh, yeah." Blaise muttered, for some strange reason feeling confused. Honestly, who expected that Gryffindor's Golden Boy would have a snake as pet and be proud of it? Certainly not him. What had Draco done to the Gryffindor boy this summer?

After a while, they changed into their school robes and talked about their classes.

* * *

The train stopped eventually and they began their search for an empty carriage that would be pulled to school by the invisible Theastrals.

Harry waved at Hagrid, who was in charge of the first years, and searched for Ron and Hermione, who he hadn't seen on the train. He caught a flash of bright red hair, but when he looked, he saw that Ron had closed the door of his carriage and they departed. His friends had left him there.

"Nice, guys," he muttered underneath his breath annoyed. Why hadn't they waited for him?

"Harry?"

He looked up and saw Draco standing by a carriage.

"You can join us if you want," Draco offered.

"Thanks," Harry said gratefully.

When Harry stepped into the carriage, he saw that Theodore Nott was joining them too. Draco took the seat next to Harry and they began moving.

"Well, well, I never thought I would see the day that Potter would be sitting with us," Nott said. His dark eyes were roaming over Harry. "So, you're Draco's new friend, huh?"

"Yes, do you have a problem with that?" Harry asked. He resisted the urge to shift. Nott was making him nervous with his stare.

"I wonder how long you will last as Draco's new toy. A week, maybe?" Nott smirked.

"If you don't shut your mouth, I'll shut it for you permanently," Draco threatened.

Nott smirked, but wasn't stupid enough to risk his life.

The rest of the ride was spent in uncomfortable silence; even Blaise didn't open his mouth.

They arrived in the hallway of Hogwarts, where Hermione was tapping her foot; impatience written over her face.

"Harry, where were you? We didn't find you on the train and you weren't in our carriage," Hermione huffed.

"I was sitting with Draco and Blaise," Harry sighed. "Besides, by the time I saw you by a carriage, you were already driving away."

"Now that Harry is here, can we go in? I'm starving!" Ron complained and rubbed his stomach.

"Ronald, stop complaining! You already ate on the train! Now, come on, Harry, we can't miss the ceremony!" she insisted and turned around.

"I'll see you later," Draco whispered in Harry's ear.

Harry nodded and with an inaudible sigh, he followed his two friends towards the Gryffindor table. When they sat down, Harry could hear everyone whispering about the two new teachers. He looked up and saw Sirius and Remus sitting at the right end of the table. When they saw him looking, they smiled and waved. Harry grinned and waved back.

"Harry, why is Sirius Black sitting with the teachers?" Neville asked quietly, his round face showing his confusion.

"He's going to teach Defence against the Dark Arts, together with Remus," Harry answered.

"So, Lupin is back? That's great!" Dean grinned.

"Well, this should be interesting; an ex-convict, teaching us DADA. I think it'll be fun," Seamus chuckled.

"It will be different, that's for sure," Hermione retorted cryptically.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry asked annoyed.

"Not now, Harry, the Sorting Hat is singing," Hermione replied irritated.

Harry tried to concentrate on the Sorting Hat, but was failing miserably. His thoughts went to the blond boy sitting at the Slytherin table, who was currently listening attentively. Once again, Harry found himself comparing Draco to Ron and Hermione. Throughout the whole summer, Draco had been the one who spent most of his time with Harry. He could count his interactions with Ron and Hermione on two hands probably. That was a depressing thought. Maybe they could bring life back in their friendship, now that they had returned to school. But there was no way he would dump Draco as his friend. He liked the blond Slytherin too much for that. Harry snorted inwardly; if someone had told him three months ago he would like a Slytherin, he would have told that person to go for a checkup with Madam Pomfrey.

A painful jab to his ribs woke him up from his musings.

Harry rubbed the painful spot and scowled. "Why did you do that for?"

"The first years are sorted and professor Dumbledore is about to say something. Honestly, Harry, pay attention," Hermione hissed;

Harry rolled his eyes, but looked at the Head table.

"Before we fill our tummies with this delicious food, I have a few things that, unfortunately, need to be said," Dumbledore started, his blue eyes twinkling madly. "First of all, the Forbidden Forest is forbidden for all students. Some do well to remember that. Second of all, Mister Filch wants you to know he has made a list with all the objects that are forbidden to enter the school, including the tools of the two Mister Weasleys. You can find that list at the door of his office. Then, after the feast, I would like to ask that the years five to seven stay here, because of a ritual that needs to be done. Further explanation will be given later."

An excited murmuring rose up. Everybody was wondering what ritual it could be and why only the fifth to seventh years were allowed to participate.

"Maybe it will be something like the Triwizard Tournament," Seamus suggested.

"After the disaster two years back, I doubt they will do anything like that again," Hermione snapped. "Besides, the Headmaster was talking about a ritual, not about a tournament."

Harry was unpleasantly reminded of Cedric's death and shook his head to get rid of the memories. He didn't want to think of that now.

"Silence, please." Dumbledore clapped in his hands. Immediately, the Great Hall was silent again. "One last thing. I'm pleased to announce that this year we have two teachers for Defence against the Dark Arts. Please welcome professor Lupin – who will teach here for his second year – and professor Black!"

Remus and Sirius stood up and bowed. A few seconds it was quiet, but that changed when Harry began clapping. Seeing their unofficial 'leader' giving the two men his support, the rest of the Gryffindor table followed him and clapped too. After them, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff followed too and even Slytherin clapped – they followed the lead of Draco, their leader. Although they couldn't understand why Draco showed his support, they knew better than to ignore his lead.

"I won't let you wait any longer. Enjoy the feast!"

Immediately after that, all kinds of food appeared on the golden plates. Harry served himself some of the mashed potatoes and a chicken leg. He filled his goblet with pumpkin juice and frowned when a small vial appeared next to his plate. He picked it up and smelled. It smelled like his nutrition potion. He looked at the Head table and was met with Snape's raised eyebrow. He sighed and downed the vial.

"Say, Harry, where did your glasses go?" Neville asked timidly.

"I don't need them anymore. My godfather took me to a shop to let my eyes get fixed," Harry explained.

Dean furrowed his eyebrows. "I didn't know you had a godfather, Harry. Who is it?"

"Sirius Black," Harry answered carefully.

Several mouths dropped open.

"No way! The guy that's going to teach us DADA, the ex-convict, is your godfather? That's so cool!" Seamus exclaimed.

Harry blushed.

Hermione huffed, but didn't comment.

Eventually, all the food – including the desserts – and the dirty dishes disappeared back to the kitchen. The fourth years were ordered to lead the lower years to their dorms and threatened with detention if they would go anywhere but their dorms.

Dumbledore stood up and everybody went quiet. "I'm sure everybody is curious as to why you must stay here. I will explain it. As you all know, Voldemort is gaining power," he started gravely. A shiver went through the Great Hall. "He may be powerful, but there are some things that he doesn't understand. One of them is companionship. Friendship is a powerful emotion. Like the Sorting Hat sang before, we must all unite ourselves and present one front. I know this will be slightly difficult, considering there are some … problems between some Houses," he paused and glanced at Gryffindor and Slytherin, before continuing, "but we found a solution. A long time ago, the four Founders created a book with very useful rituals. One of the rituals will exchange four students – one of each House – to another House to provide more understanding. Hufflepuff will exchange a student with Ravenclaw and vice versa and Gryffindor will make an exchange with Slytherin. The Founders created this ritual, because the students will be forced to see how the other House truly is and not what they think it is. This way, all the prejudices will be banished. The exchange will last until there's peace between all the four Houses. I must warn you - you can't fool this ritual. It will decide on his own if the peace is honest. I would like you to write your name on a piece of parchment together with the name of your House. The parchments will be collected and be put in this cup. When I call your name, you will go to the other House. No switch or withdrawal is possible. Now please, write your name and House," Dumbledore instructed.

_So this is what Dumbledore has planned. It explains why they didn't sent the Captain badges. If the captain of the team got chosen to go to the other House, it would pose a problem. They probably decide on a captain when the ritual is completed,_ Harry thought when he wrote his name and his House on the parchment he had borrowed from Dean.

While the students wrote their names and Houses, Dumbledore activated the House cup if front of him with the spell. "Ante amicitiam, pacem et concordiam, dimitte hanc inimicitiam."

"I wonder who the four students will be," Hermione mused excitedly.

Ron shrugged. "Who cares? As long as it isn't us who have to go to the Slytherins."

One for one, the pieces of parchment were dropped in the House cup. You could cut the tension that hung in the Hall with a knife. Every student wondered who the person would be that had to switch. The tension was especially heavy at the tables of Gryffindor and Slytherin.

Finally, the Cup glowed and spit out the first name.

"The student from Hufflepuff that will go to Ravenclaw is… Mister Zacharius Smith," Dumbledore announced.

Smith scowled, but took a seat at the Ravenclaw table.

A second name was spit out. "The Ravenclaw student that will change to Hufflepuff is… Miss Luna Lovegood," Dumbledore called out.

Luna smiled dreamily and skipped towards Hufflepuff. Some of the students eyed her warily, but most smiled friendly.

Now only Gryffindor and Slytherin were left. The tension went up.

The Cup spit the third name out. "The Slytherin student that will grace Gryffindor with her presence is… Miss Pansy Parkinson!" Dumbledore smiled.

"What!? That can't be!" Pansy shrieked upset. With trembling lips, she turned to Draco. "Drakey, did you hear that?"

"Pansy, stop calling me that and just go to Gryffindor. Stop making such a fuss about it," Draco ordered annoyed, but inwardly was doing a dance. _Thank Merlin that she's out of my way,_ he thought relieved.

Pansy pouted and huffed, but went to the Gryffindor table. The students near her shuffled out of her way.

Then for the last time, the House cup produced one more name. Draco crossed his fingers and hid his nervous, but hopeful face. _Please let it be Harry, please let it be Harry,_ he pleaded repeatedly silently.

"The student that will join Slytherin as from tonight is…" Dumbledore's eyes widened and he gritted his teeth silently, but continued, "is Harry Potter."

It became very quiet in the Hall. Draco did a victory dance. Inwardly of course.


	15. First night and first reactions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm, nothing that requires a special warning I think
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 15: First night and first reactions**

_Talk about déjà vu,_ Harry thought strangely amused. He was reminded of his fourth year, when everyone had been as quiet as now. _At least now it's nothing life threatening,_ Harry thought sarcastically.

"Harry, are you going to keep sitting there? Or do I have to drag you here?" Draco broke the silence smirking.

Harry shook his head and smiled. "Calm down, Draco. I'm coming." He turned towards Ron and Hermione who gaped. He scratched his head. "Good night. I suppose I see you tomorrow, guys." He made sure that Sapphire and Ruby (invisible again now that they were at school) followed him and made his way to the Slytherin table. He ignored the whispering that had broken out.

Draco grinned and slid to the left to make room for Harry. "I wonder what your parents would say now," he smirked.

"My mum would probably faint and my dad would kill me," Harry answered dryly. "Or he would come back from the afterlife to haunt me."

"Don't worry, Harry, I'll protect you," Draco teased and slung his arm around Harry's shoulder.

"Dear Merlin, a Slytherin protecting a Gryffindor; what went wrong with the world?" Harry snorted, ignoring the stares he received.

"Ah, but you're not a Gryffindor anymore, Harry, you're a Slytherin now." Draco pointed at something on Harry's chest.

Harry looked down and noticed that his Gryffindor emblem had changed into that of Slytherin. Instead of the red and gold lion, Harry was now the owner of a green and silver snake.

"Well, damn, magic's really fast," Harry chuckled.

"Welcome to Slytherin, Harry," Blaise grinned.

"Thanks," Harry smiled.

"Harry, aren't you going to protest?" Seamus exclaimed incredulously. It seemed that he had gotten over his shock.

"Why would I protest?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Because you're in Slytherin now and you don't belong there and Malfoy is practically hugging you," Seamus spluttered.

"I'm aware of those things, Seamus. The ritual placed me in Slytherin, so I stay here. Besides, Draco and I are friends now," Harry replied.

Immediately, the Great Hall exploded in loud chattering after hearing Harry's announcement.

"Oops, I guess they didn't know it yet." Harry blinked.

"How would they have known it? It's not like you told the entire train of your new friendship," Blaise scoffed.

"I thought that those girls from Ravenclaw would have told their friends about it, considering they saw me sitting with you and I told that Romilda girl that we're friends. Normally, gossip spreads fast, so…" Harry shrugged his shoulders.

"You have a point there," Blaise mumbled.

"What do you think of the view from here, Harry? Nice, isn't it?" Draco suggested, ignoring the loud chattering around him.

Harry snorted. "Charming," he commented.

"Children, be quiet, please," Dumbledore ordered.

It took a while before everyone was quiet again.

"Now that the ritual is completed, I would like you to go to your dorms. Tomorrow is a school day, after all." Dumbledore smiled. "Mister Malfoy, Mister Potter, please wait. I want to discuss something with you two."

Harry and Draco looked at each other and shrugged. While Draco and Harry waited until everyone was out of the Hall, they saw Sirius and Remus saying something to Dumbledore, at which the latter shook his head. Both men scowled, but followed the other teachers out of the hall, while they were discussing something.

"Shit," Harry cursed when he saw the men. How could he have forgotten about that?

"What's the matter, Harry?" Draco asked concerned.

"I'm a Slytherin now; what will Remus and Sirius think of that?" Harry asked nervously. "They're going to be mad at me."

"Why would they be mad at you? You're not making any sense, Harry," Draco said confused.

"Because I'm a Slytherin now, of course! They were proud of me, because I'm a Gryffindor, like my parents and them, but now that I'm a Slytherin, they will be mad at me! What if they don't want to see me anymore?" Harry whispered frantically.

"Harry …" Draco began, but was interrupted by Dumbledore who laid his wrinkled, old hands on the shoulders of both boys.

"I'm sorry, dear boys, but you have to follow me to my office," Dumbledore smiled. Then he addressed Snape, who had followed him. "Severus, there's no need to be there as well. It's just a simple and short discussion."

"Then you won't mind me being there too. Besides, I'm head of their House. It's my business too, considering it involves some of my students," Snape smirked.

Dumbledore smiled, though it seemed strained. "Of course, Severus, please follow me."

The whole way to Dumbledore's office was spent in silence. Harry was still inwardly panicking and worrying over Sirius' and Remus' reactions; Draco was thinking of a way to reassure and calm Harry; Snape was still smirking (although he was also sort of worried how Harry would survive in the snake's den) and Dumbledore was worrying about how Harry's change of House would affect his plans for the boy.

"Strawberry bubblegum," Dumbledore said to the gargoyle guarding his room.

The gargoyle jumped to the side and revealed the passage. The small group stepped on the staircase and was led automatically to the door. Dumbledore unlocked it and ushered the other three in. He took his seat behind his desk and with a wave of his wand, three fluffy, red chairs appeared before the desk.

"Please, take a seat," Dumbledore smiled and searched for something in his drawers.

"I'd rather stand," Snape replied stiffly and crossed his arms.

Draco sighed inaudibly, but took a seat next to Harry – though, he glanced at the chairs with disdain.

Dumbledore held out a brown bag. "A lemon drop, boys? Severus?" he offered.

"No, thank you," both boys mumbled.

"If I want to poison myself, I brow a potion," Snape sneered.

Dumbledore smiled indulgently and popped one in his mouth. "Now, boys, I want to discuss Quidditch with you two."

"Quidditch, sir?" Harry repeated confused. Of all the things he had expected Dumbledore to say, was Quidditch the last one.

"Yes, you see; originally, you both were chosen as the new Captain of your teams. With the ritual placing Harry into Slytherin, however, it is obvious that one of you has to give up the badge. Who will give it up?" Dumbledore questioned.

"I really don't care for that badge," Harry replied immediately. "Draco can have it."

"Are you sure, Harry? You have played Quidditch longer than I have," Draco said hesitatingly.

"Draco, just take the badge." Harry rolled his eyes. As if he wanted to receive more attention as a Captain. He was more than happy with Draco taking the badge.

"Harry, are you sure? If you give up the position of Quidditch Captain, then I'm afraid you can't play Quidditch," Dumbledore informed him in a grave voice.

"What! Why not?" Harry asked startled. Sure, he didn't want to be a Captain, but he still wanted to play Quidditch!

"Because with you in the Slytherin team, there will be one member too many," Dumbledore explained.

"That's not true," Draco interjected. "One of our Chasers last year has graduated, so there's a spot free. I've never been really interested in the Seeker's spot. I can try out as Chaser and Harry can fill in my spot."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked hesitatingly. Draco nodded smiling. "Thanks."

"No problem."

"Well, if you do fair try – outs, then I suppose I can't object," Dumbledore said, hiding his frustration at being bested by a child – a Malfoy, nonetheless.

"If that is all, I would like to escort these two to Slytherin. I have to give my students the annual talk," Snape said, his dark eyes glowering.

"Wait a minute, Severus. Harry, are you okay with this switch?" Dumbledore asked, sounding concerned.

Harry shrugged. "It's not like the switch can be undone. I'm sure I'll be fine. Besides, I have Draco now as a friend."

Draco smirked slightly.

Dumbledore sighed, but dismissed them. He waited until they had closed the door, before dropping his friendly face and scowling. How on earth could this have happened? Of all the students that the ritual could have chosen, Harry Potter had to be the one? Was Destiny laughing with him? He needed the boy to be in Gryffindor. He needed Gryffindor's influence to keep that boy in check. It was already a risk to let Harry stay with that godfather of his. It was dangerous, but he had counted on his influence on the boy in school to prevent further damage to his plan. But with Harry in Slytherin, away from his friends, and under Snape's and Malfoy's influence, Dumbledore didn't have a clue as to what would happen. If he lost his grip on Harry, then his whole plan would fall apart. That couldn't happen!

As loathe as he was to admit, he counted on Harry to win this war. Oh well, he still had private appointments scheduled where he would teach Harry more about Occlumency and Defence against the Dark Arts. That should be enough to keep the control over the boy.

Dumbledore popped another lemon drop in his mouth and began to write a letter. He would need that stuff now if he wanted to carry out his plan.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Gryffindor tower, two students were sitting in the chairs, the only ones still awake.

"What do you think will happen now, 'Mione?" Ron asked uncertainly.

Hermione sighed. "I honestly don't know, Ron."

"I can't believe Harry went willingly to those snakes! And did you see how Malfoy had his arms around Harry? Who does he think he is? His best friend?" Ron said annoyed.

"Harry knows that you're his best friend. He's not going to throw our friendship of nearly six years away for a Slytherin. We just have to make sure Harry spends most of his time with us," Hermione said gently, patting Ron's hand.

Ron grinned. "Yeah, you're right. Harry will see soon enough what a slimy bastard Malfoy really is. Good night, 'Mione." He stood up and stretched.

"Good night, Ron," Hermione smiled and watched Ron disappearing into the boys' dorms.

Hermione sighed and bit on her lip. The atmosphere in the Gryffindor common room had been subdued all evening. Nobody liked the fact that Harry was now essentially a Slytherin. Seamus had been sitting in a corner, muttering darkly. Ginny had had a vicious scowl on her face before she stormed off to her dorm.

The fact that Harry was now friends with Malfoy had shocked everyone. The one question that had risen up was, what was Harry thinking? Didn't he know that associating with Slytherins was bad for his reputation?

Hermione had always been of the opinion that Harry too easily forgave someone. Because it had worked in her and Ron's favour before, she hadn't said anything of it. Now however…

If Harry had forgiven Malfoy, who knew who he would forgive next. That couldn't happen.

She, Ron and the other Gryffindors were Harry's real friends. Not those Slytherins. Hermione was determined to keep Harry as a Gryffindor. She would start tomorrow with removing Harry from Malfoy's influence.

* * *

"The password is 'Dragonhead'. Do try to remember it." Snape sneered lightly.

Both boys nodded and followed him into Slytherin's common room, where every member of the House was waiting.

Harry vaguely noticed that the common room hadn't changed since his visit in his second year, before he was dragged off by Draco to two chairs in front of the fire. Harry could feel eyes burning in him, but he ignored him.

Snape was standing in the middle of the room and immediately, everyone went quiet.

"To the first years, welcome in Slytherin. To the older ones, welcome back," he started, his voice soft but clear. "There are a few rules you have to follow in this House. I will not tolerate intolerance between the members. If you have a problem, you go talk with the Head boy and Head girl. Under no circumstances will you misbehave. You are not rash Gryffindors, nor naïve Hufflepuffs. Act like a Slytherin; we're cunning and intelligent. If you go outside the common room, you'll be in group. I'm sure you are aware of our position in public. Try to keep a low profile. If a member of the other Houses attack, then try to avoid them. If you have to defend yourselves after all, try not to use dangerous spells. I don't want anyone to be expelled, because you didn't use your brain. Understood?" He looked at everyone, his eyes glowering.

Everyone nodded.

"Good. Have a nice night."

Taking this as a sign that they were dismissed, the Slytherins began talking quietly amongst themselves, while the younger ones went to their dorms.

"Potter."

Harry looked up warily at Snape. "Yes, sir?"

"If there are problems, you may come to me," Snape said softly.

Harry blinked surprised. "Oh, all right. Thank you."

"Oh and Potter?" Harry looked up again. "If you dare to die when you're under my watch, I will personally bring you back from the afterlife and I'll make sure you'll regret you ever died in the first place." Snape turned around and with one last look disappeared from the room.

Harry gaped and gulped.

"I knew Sev cared about you," Draco whispered satisfied.

"Draco, he threatened me with severe harm. That's not what I call 'caring for someone'," Harry said incredulously, keeping his voice low.

"I know Sev, Harry. He only threatens someone so severe if he cares about someone," Draco whispered back.

"I feel so loved now," Harry replied sarcastically.

"How do you like it in here, Harry? It's nice and cozy, isn't it?" Blaise fell next to Harry in a chair, grinning.

Harry shrugged. "It's remarkably nice for being in the dungeons, but I noticed it didn't change since last time." His brain caught up with what he said and he clapped a hand for his mouth, startled that he had admitted and told them about his visit.

Draco narrowed his eyes. "Harry, what do you mean with 'it didn't change since last time'?"

Harry laughed nervously. "You know, that's a funny story, but I don't think you'll be interested to hear it. Why don't we go to sleep, hm?" he suggested and stood up. He was pushed down again by Draco.

"No, you're wrong. I'm definitely interested in hearing your story. What do you think, Blaise?" Draco asked casually, but held his hand on Harry's shoulder to prevent him from escaping – and to have an excuse to touch Harry.

"Yeah, I really would like to know what our innocent hero was up to," Blaise grinned.

Harry glared at him for the 'hero' remark, but grudgingly sat back down. "With the attacks in our second year, Hermione, Ron and I decided to see if we could find out the identity of the attacker. We came up with the idea of sneaking in Slytherin to question you, Draco, to see if you knew more. Of course, we found out you didn't know anything, so our plan failed." Harry shrugged.

"Hold on, I would have known if you suddenly showed up in Slytherin and interrogated me." Draco frowned.

Harry smiled sheepishly. "We made Polyjuice Potion and Ron and I changed into Crabbe and Goyle. Hermione couldn't come with us, because she accidentally used a cat's hair."

Blaise and Draco stared at him, both dumbfounded.

"Well, fuck me, I didn't know you can be so sneaky, Harry. Maybe you won't have problems fitting in," Blaise grinned.

Harry blushed lightly and averted his eyes.

"What do you say of going to sleep?" Draco suggested and stood up.

Harry nodded and the boys made their way to their dorms. Harry looked around while Blaise fell into a bed on the right. Nott was already there, laying on his back with his arms folded beneath his head, on the bed next to Blaise.

There wasn't much difference with the Gryffindor dorms. The only differences were the colours and the fact that they were now underground with no windows. The light came from various torches and it was surprisingly enough cozy.

Harry's bed was tot the far left, next to Draco's bed. His trunk was standing at the end of his bed. He rummaged through his trunk and found his pyjamas and his toiletries.

"Harry, you can shower first," Draco offered.

Harry smiled and disappeared in the bathroom that was located next to his bed.

"I bet you're happy now, Draco, now that you have your little toy with you. How long will he last, before you'll tire of him?" Nott taunted.

"Shut your mouth, Nott. You know nothing about Harry and I. If you ever call him a toy again, you'll wish you'd never met me," Draco hissed.

"Ooh, touchy," Nott grinned, but shut up.

Blaise glanced at the two, but decided to not interfere.

Eventually, everyone was in their bed. A chorus of 'good nights' were exchanged and the torches were put out.

For a while, Harry stared in the darkness, feeling uneasy again when he thought about Sirius and Remus. How would they react? Would they be angry or upset that he wasn't a Gryffindor anymore? Harry bit on his lip. Would they ignore him? What if they decided to send him back to the Dursleys? He didn't want to go! Not now when he finally had his own family. Why did those things always have to happen to him? Was it too much to ask for a normal year?

A sharp copper taste alerted Harry that he had bitten too hard on his lip. He stopped gnawing on his lip and sighed softly; wincing a bit when the release of his breath stung a bit. He felt tired and his eyes were slipping close. All the different emotions from that day had taken his toll and Harry fell into a restless sleep, but without – thankfully! - any nightmares.

* * *

"Wakey, wakey, Harry! It's time for school!" a voice shouted in Harry's ear, the next morning.

Harry yelped, startled out of his sleep and his fist shot out automatically to hit the one who disturbed him. His fist hit the target and he heard a yell and a thump.

Harry opened his eyes and blinked. A groan from the floor made him look down. To his surprise, he saw a disheveled Blaise laying on his back.

"Blaise, what are you doing on the ground?" Harry asked confused.

Loud laughter startled him for the second time that morning and he looked up into the shining grey eyes of Draco.

"Blaise decided to wake you up in his special, obnoxious way. I warned him not to do that, but the moron wouldn't listen," Draco explained smirking.

Blaise sat up and rubbed his cheek. "Damn Harry, for looking so small, you sure do have a strong punch. Do you work out or something?" he complained and felt with his tongue to check if he still had all his teeth. Thankfully he did.

_Something like that_ , Harry thought grimly, remembering all the times he had to run, dodge the attacks and defend himself against his cousin and his friends.

"I'm sorry I punched you. I guess I was startled when you shouted," Harry apologized, feeling embarrassed that he had hit one of his roommates. And it was only the second day! It was not the best start Harry could have hoped for.

"Don't apologize, Harry. It's his own fault for not listening. You better get dressed. Breakfast will be served soon and Snape's going to give us our new timetables," Draco added.

Harry nodded and slipped out of bed. He changed into his school's uniform, not noticing how Draco's eyes lingered on his bare chest for a moment before looking away.

They grabbed their bags and walked out of the dorms and out of the common room.

Sapphire stayed in the dorms, but Ruby was following Harry in his invisible form and Garin had slithered up and around Harry's left arm with his head on Harry's shoulder.

Many students were making their way to the Great Hall, but stopped to whisper when they saw Harry walking with Draco and Blaise.

"So it's true. Harry Potter is a Slytherin now? I couldn't believe it when Mark told me yesterday," a black haired girl whispered to her friend.

"Yeah, I couldn't believe it either. I mean, Harry Potter, a Slytherin? I'm surprised he has survived the first night in Slytherin," her friend, a brown haired freckled girl, replied.

"I'm surprised he's now friends with that Malfoy. Look at them; you wouldn't think they would be friends after all those years," the first girl continued.

Unconsciously Harry walked closer to Draco, as if he wanted to protect himself against the whispering.

All the students looked up when the door of the Great Hall opened and stared when Harry walked with Draco and Blaise to the Slytherin table. They sat down and selected their breakfast.

"Do you think they will eventually blink or are they going to keep up their staring?" Harry asked annoyed.

Blaise grinned. "You do realize you're now more of a hot topic than before? You're a Slytherin now; they're either expecting you to turn Dark or that you'll protest and demand to be a Gryffindor again."

"That's stupid." Harry frowned. "Not all Slytherins are Dark and why would I protest? The ritual won't let us transfer back unless there's peace between the Houses."

"You know that, I know that, but there are people that refuse to acknowledge that. The famous Harry Potter, a Slytherin now. Everybody's having a heart attack now," Blaise chuckled.

"I see you survived your first night in Slytherin, Potter," Snape's smooth voice spoke up from behind them.

The three boys turned around to face their Head of the House.

"Yes, I'm still alive," Harry said dryly.

Snape smirked. "That is good to know. It would be… awkward if I had to inform the public that their 'Chosen One' didn't survive a night with Slytherins."

Harry rolled his eyes.

"Here are your timetables. Do me a favor, Potter and try not to die today," Snape said dryly and handed over their timetables.

"I'll try not to," Harry replied and looked at his timetable. He noticed he had DADA first and then a double period History of Magic. He groaned; were they trying to kill him? After History, he had a free period. After lunch, he had Divination and Charms. He ended with a free period. Why had he chosen Divination again? Oh yeah, because he wanted to have some easy lessons. Harry snorted. The rest of his timetable was reasonable, he supposed.

"Here, let me see your schedule," Draco said and they swapped the parchments.

Instead of Care of Magical Creatures, Draco had chosen Healing and Ancient Runes.

"Healing, Draco?" Harry asked amused.

Draco shrugged. "I figured it would come in handy with you as my friend now. Merlin knows you are accident prone. This way, you won't have to go to Pomfrey, every time you manage to get hurt."

"Do you always insult your friends?" Harry asked dryly.

"Only the ones I deeply love." Draco winked.

Harry rolled his eyes and proceeded to eat his breakfast, missing the soft smile Draco threw him. He had meant that last sentence; he loved Harry. Too bad Harry didn't realize this. Yet.

Harry looked up from his breakfast and searched for his godfather and Remus at the Head table. To his disappointment, he couldn't find them. Had they already gone to their class rooms? But he had wanted to speak with them!

Draco saw his disappointed face and assumed correctly that it had something to do with Black and Lupin. He stood up. "Come on, Harry. It's nearly time for class and we still have to collect our books. If you're lucky, you can speak with him before class."

Harry smiled gratefully and followed the blond Slytherin out of the Great Hall. He missed the worried glance of Hermione and the annoyed glance of Ron.

Both boys retrieved their books for the lessons in the morning and hurried to the third floor. Unfortunately on their way they bumped into a fifth year Ravenclaw who looked haughtily at Draco and wary at Harry.

"So, it's true. You're a Slytherin," the boy said curtly.

Harry sighed. "Yes."

"You don't have a problem with that?" the boy asked incredulously.

"No, I don't have a problem with that. If you'll excuse us now, Draco and I have to go to class," Harry said impatiently and he walked further. He desperately wanted to talk to Remus and Sirius, to hear they still wanted him, even as a Slytherin.

Because he was so focused on his plan to speak with Remus and Sirius, he didn't notice the disgusted look the Ravenclaw threw at them. Draco, however, saw that look and made a mental note to always have someone by Harry's side if he wasn't able to be there. He didn't want to take any risks. Harry may be their 'Chosen One', but he was also a Slytherin. And Slytherins didn't have a good reputation.

Harry cursed silently when they arrived at the class. Almost everyone had arrived. There went his plan to talk to Remus before class.

The only available seats that were next to each other, were in the second row, so Harry grabbed Draco's sleeve and lightly pulled him to the seats. Draco looked surprised when he felt Harry's hand tugging on his sleeve, but didn't complain. Hey, he wasn't passing up this chance to feel Harry touching him!

They sat down and took their books, waiting for Remus to start the lesson. Harry fidgeted a bit, but forced himself to sit still. He would talk to Remus after the lesson and Remus would reassure him that he still wanted to know Harry. Still, Harry had a gnawing feeling in his stomach.

He threw a quick smile when Hermione and Ron sat down behind him and tapped his shoulder, but his attention was quickly reverted back to the front where Remus spoke up.

"Good morning, class. I'm happy to teach you again," Remus smiled. "This year will be divided in two halves; a part about creatures and a part of spells. We will begin with spells and after January, we will study various creatures. For this lesson, I want to revise all the spells you learned until now."

_This is going to be fun,_ Harry thought amused.


	16. First week as Slytherin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: a bit of violence, somewhat OOC, the beginning of the end of the Golden Trio and a little bit of fluff
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it  
> I also don't own the creature in the lesson of Care of Magical Creatures, because that's owned by the author of Fantastic beasts and where to find them.
> 
> And yes, I am aware that brewing Felix Felicis takes ages to brew, but I had to use something for the Potions lesson, so please bear with me ^^;

**Chapter 16: First week as Slytherin**

"Before we start, do you have questions?" Remus inquired.

Parvati's hand shot up.

"Yes, Miss Patil?"

"Will professor Black be teaching us too?" she asked rather eagerly.

Remus blinked, obviously not expecting this question. "Only when I'm absent. Professor Black teaches the first to fourth years."

Parvati looked mildly disappointed.

"If nobody else has questions, we will start with the lesson," Remus continued calmly. "You'll be in pairs with who you sit now. You'll take turns attacking and defending yourself. Everything is allowed, except for spells that cause severe harm, mind control and death. And no cheating," he warned and then clapped his hands. "Stand up, please. The tables and chairs will be set to the sides."

They all stood up and went to the middle of the room. With a wave of Remus' wand, the furniture was placed against the walls, leaving a wide, empty space open.

The students spread out, so that each little group had enough space to move. Harry had placed Garin on Ruby's back to avoid hurting him. For some unknown reason, Ruby's ability to turn invisible extended to others too, so Garin was invisible as well.

Harry and Draco had chosen a spot near the window and Ruby was waiting underneath it.

The two boys stood across from each other, wands ready.

"Brings back memories, doesn't it, Harry?" Draco smirked.

"Yeah, good times," Harry grinned.

"Wands ready," Remus called. "And go."

"Reducto!" Harry murmured and the chair behind Draco exploded.

"Protego," Draco said surprised and his shield erected in time to protect him against the flying wood pieces.

Harry grinned. "Didn't expect that, hm, Draco."

Draco shook his head and mumbled, "Incendio."

The end of Harry's robe caught fire and he yelped, before dosing the fire with a water jet from his wand.

"If you want to play it this way, then we play it this way, Harry," Draco smirked, twirling his wand.

"Aguamenti."

A splash of water hit Draco right in the face and he spluttered, spitting water out.

Harry smiled innocently when Draco glared.

Despite them being friends now, they both wanted to win and so, the spells followed each other quickly. They had to defend and attack at the same time and other students had to jump out of the way, if they wanted to avoid the hexes and the spells. Eventually, the other students stopped their own duels, in favour of watching Draco and Harry.

When the bell signaled the end of the class, both boys were sweating and panting.

"You improved, Harry. You nearly had me with that Stinging Hex," Draco grinned.

"Just admit I kicked your arse," Harry chuckled and stroked his hair out his eyes.

Draco snorted. "Dream on, Potter."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Stubborn arse." They grabbed their bags and Harry had turned to speak with Remus, when he caught sight of the clock.

"Shit. We're going to be late for History of Magic," Harry cursed and gripped his bag tighter. He felt Ruby standing next to him and Garin slithered his way up on Harry's arm, underneath his sleeve. Harry hesitated; if he skipped Binns' class, he would get to talk to Remus. Besides, the ghost wouldn't notice it if one of his students was absent. It didn't matter if he followed the lesson or not, because he fell asleep either way.

Draco noticed Harry's hesitation and shook his head. He understood Harry wanted to hear Lupin's reassurance, but they didn't have the time for that. Snape would kill them if he heard that some of his students were late for a class. Besides, Draco had seen Remus getting ready for his next class.

"Harry, I think it's best if you come back tonight. He's preparing his next lesson and we have to go to class," Draco said softly.

Harry bit on his lip and sighed. "Yeah, you're right. Let's go." After casting a last longing glance at Remus who stood with his back to them, he followed Draco to their second class, Ruby trailing behind him.

* * *

The following two hours were slow torture for the seventh years Slytherins and Hufflepuffs. Binns kept drowning on and on about the third (or was it the fourth?) Goblin war, unaware of the fact that only two Hufflepuffs and three Slytherins were paying attention. The rest of the class was either sleeping or whispering to each other.

Harry would have loved to take a little nap, but every time his eyes closed for more than two seconds, he would receive a jab in his ribs from an annoyed Draco.

After he was jabbed for the eleventh time, he turned to Draco and glared. "Would you stop jabbing me? My ribs are bruised enough, thank you," he said annoyed.

"Stop whining. I'll stop jabbing if you pay attention," Draco replied. His hand never stopped writing.

"But it's boring. Besides, Blaise is sleeping; why don't you jab him?" Harry pouted.

Draco glanced at the aforementioned boy on his left, who was sleeping with his mouth open. _How dignified,_ Draco thought and rolled his eyes. "He's a lost cause," he simply answered and gestured that Harry should start writing again.

Harry huffed, but decided that severely bruised ribs just weren't worth the little nap, so he started taking notes.

* * *

One hour later, the class was rescued from further boredom by the bell.

Blaise, who was finally awake, yawned. "Well, I'm off to the common room. I'm going to spend my free period in my comfy bed. Have fun with Ancient Runes, Draco."

"Are you going back to the common room too, Harry?" Draco asked.

"Maybe later. I'm going to check if I can talk to Sirius," Harry answered.

Draco opened his mouth to protest (he didn't want Harry to go on his own. Who knew what could happen?), but closed it again. It was silly to think that something would happen to Harry. Even if someone attacked him, Harry was capable enough to defend himself.

"Well then, I'll see you at lunch, all right? If you want, I can introduce you to the rest of the Quidditch team," Draco said.

"But I already know them," Harry said confused.

"Not all of them. There are some new additions. See you later, Harry," Draco smiled.

Harry nodded and then walked in the opposite direction. He searched in his bag until he found the Marauders' Map. He looked around, saw no one and whispered, "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good."

Immediately, lines appeared on the map and formed the different rooms, hallways and secret passages of Hogwarts. Harry studied the map. Draco had just entered a room and Harry assumed it was the Ancient Runes class, because he saw Hermione there too. For a brief moment, Harry wondered how Ron and Hermione were doing, before searching for the dot labeled Sirius Black. He found his godfather in a room on the fifth floor, but there were other names too, signaling that he was teaching.

Harry sighed and mumbled, "Mischief managed." He didn't have any other choice but to go to the Slytherin common room. He turned around and nearly bumped into McGonagall.

"Excuse me, professor," Harry mumbled.

"Potter, why aren't you in class?" she asked and looked at him sternly.

"I have a free period now, professor," Harry answered.

"In that case, will you accompany me to my office? I have something to discuss with you," she replied calmly.

Harry gulped, but nodded. Why did McGonagall always gave him the feeling that he was in trouble?

"Relax, Potter, you're not in trouble. Now follow me, please." The Head of Gryffindor led him up two stairs, before entering her office. "Take a seat." She nodded towards the chair in front of her desk.

"I assume the Headmaster has already informed you over the Quidditch problem?" she inquired, after placing rolled up parchments on her cherry wooden desk.

"Yes, Draco and I decided that he'll be the Captain of the Slytherin team," Harry informed her.

If the professor was surprised with Harry's use of first name with his former enemy, she didn't show it. "Then there rest us only one problem and that is who will be the Gryffindor Captain. Originally it would have been you, but with your transfer, it is naturally impossible now."

Harry bit on his lip, but didn't reply.

"You know the team best, Potter, who would make the best Captain?" McGonagall asked brusquely.

"Eh, I'm not sure if I should be the one to decide. I'm not even a Gryffindor anymore," Harry answered awkwardly.

"Potter, you were a Gryffindor before; I still value your opinion, no matter what house you're in. Unlike some, I'm not prejudiced," McGonagall replied.

Harry had the feeling she was talking about Snape and was, for some reason, a bit miffed about that." Well, I think Ron would be the best choice. He is the best at tactics anyway." Harry shrugged.

McGonagall contemplated this for a moment and then nodded. "Yes, I think that's the best choice we have. Thank you, Potter."

"Is there anything else I can help you with, professor?" Harry asked politely.

McGonagall shook her head. "No, that was all. You can go now."

Harry nodded and stood up. Just when he was about to leave the room, McGonagall said, "Don't get into too much trouble this year. I have a feeling Severus won't appreciate that."

Harry smiled and nodded. _Snape not appreciating my trouble is the understatement of the year,_ Harry thought and made his way to the Slytherin common room.

However he was stopped a few feet from the entrance by Snape's voice. "Potter, what are you doing here alone? I recall informing everyone not to walk alone, or didn't you listen?" Snape said annoyed. "Where's the blond brat?"

"If you're talking about Draco, he had Ancient Runes now. And yes sir, I remember your warning. I thought it wouldn't be a problem, considering almost everyone is in class now. Besides, Garin and Ruby are with me, sir," Harry replied and crossed his arms.

"I'm not blind, Potter, but I don't see that Nemean. Please don't tell me you are having hallucinations. It's only your first day. I believe that's a record," Snape answered sarcastically, but checked Harry's eyes, just to be sure.

"I'm not hallucinating, sir. Ruby, can you please show yourself?" Harry asked, rolling his eyes.

Harry had to give credit to Snape. He didn't look surprised or startled when Ruby turned visible again, next to Harry's leg. He only raised an eyebrow and snorted. "It figures that you wouldn't have normal pets. Though I was talking about fellow students accompanying you, I suppose these magical creatures will do."

Harry snorted.

"The reason why I stopped you, is because I wanted to know if you are still interested in Occlumency lessons?" Snape inquired.

Harry's eyes lit up. "You really want to teach me Occlumency again, sir?"

Snape sighed. "I know I will regret this, but yes; I will teach you again. But I want your full cooperation and when I say you have to practice every night, you will practice every night. If I notice that you slack off, I will kick you out of the room and you won't receive a third chance. Understood?"

"Completely. Thank you, sir!" Harry nodded enthusiastically.

"Don't thank me yet, brat. I'm sure your enthusiasm will be tempered at the end of our first lesson. Our first lesson will be this Friday nine p.m. in my quarters. Don't be late," Snape informed him.

"I won't be late, sir," Harry promised.

Snape nodded and walked away.

Harry smiled and almost skipped to the common room. Before he entered, he took a breath to calm down, checked to see if Ruby had turned invisible again and then walked straight to his dorms, once again ignoring the few stares and whispering of a few other Slytherins.

Sapphire looked up when her master entered the room and meowed sleepily. Harry smiled and scratched the cat behind her ear, making her purr. He settled himself against the head board and felt the dip in the bed when Ruby sat at his feet.

Harry ignored the light snoring that came from Blaise's bed and thought about the Occlumency lessons he would receive. He had surprised himself (and possible Snape too, even if the man didn't show it) with how happy he was with the lessons. He supposed he was happy, because Snape was a better option than Dumbledore. He wondered if Snape would be a bit friendlier while teaching him Occlumency, because he was now a Slytherin too. Harry snorted softly at that thought; he would probably freak out if Snape was friendly to him.

* * *

At lunch, Harry was introduced to the whole Slytherin Quidditch team. Even with Harry insisting that they should hold out try – outs for the Seeker position, now that Draco was a Chaser, he was outnumbered by the whole team and most of the Slytherin House who told him that holding out try – outs was a worthless effort, because everybody agreed that Harry was the best Seeker in the school. Thus, the team now consisted of Harry as Seeker; Draco, Urquhart and Vasy as Chasers; Harper and Blaise as Beaters and Millicent Bulstronk as the Keeper. Even though Millicent looked scary, once Harry started talking to her, he discovered she was actually friendly.

"You know, I'm wondering how Pansy is doing in Gryffindor," Millicent mused.

They looked at the Gryffindor table and saw her sitting at the end of the table, stabbing viciously in her meat, glaring.

"She looks ready to murder someone," Harry commented idly.

"You don't sound very concerned about that," Blaise said dryly.

"It's not like she forms a big threat." Harry shrugged. He wrinkled his nose when a sweet smell invaded his nostrils. He turned around and saw Ginny standing there smiling.

"Harry, I'm so glad to see you! I missed you yesterday in Gryffindor," she said and hugged him.

"Hey Ginny," Harry greeted her. He felt really uncomfortable with Ginny hugging him, but didn't dare to remove her.

"Weasley, you saw Harry yesterday. It's not like he was away for a year," Draco said in a cold tone, eyeing her arms around Harry's neck disdainfully.

Ginny ignored him. "Did you hear the good news, Harry? Ron received the Captain badge! Isn't it fantastic? Though I had rather you as the Captain." She winked at him.

Harry ignored the last comment – he didn't know how to react – and said, "I know. McGonagall asked me who would make the best Captain. I chose for Ron, obviously. He has always been better at strategic planning than me." He shrugged.

Ginny squealed – which made everybody wince – and hugged Harry again. "Oh, Harry, how thoughtful of you! Ron is lucky with a friend like you. I can't believe you gave Ron the badge. Wait, does this mean you're now the Captain of the snakes' team? That wouldn't matter to me, because I would cheer for you, even if you're with the snakes now," she said in one breath.

Harry blinked. "I'm not the Captain. Draco is the Captain," he informed her.

"What? Why? Did he make you give up the badge?" Ginny narrowed her eyes and glared at Draco, who glared back.

Harry sighed. "No, Ginny, I said he had to take the badge. I never wanted to be the Captain."

"Why not?" Ginny asked, thoroughly confused.

"Because I don't like the attention. Besides, Draco is better suited," Harry explained.

Ginny pouted. "But…"

The bell interrupted whatever the girl wanted to say.

"I'm sorry, Ginny, but I have to go now. See you later," Harry apologized and grabbed his bag.

Draco smirked at the crestfallen face of the Weasley girl and followed Harry to Divination. They sat in a corner on some pillows and waited for the lesson to begin.

"So, why did you decide to take this subject, Draco? No offence, but you don't seem to be the type to follow this," Harry inquired, head resting in one hand.

"Mother spoke always highly of Divination. She was of the opinion that it was a useful skill to possess. If you ask me, it is just a load of shit, but it's handy when you want to take a nap," Draco smiled. Harry chuckled. "And you?"

"Because it was the easiest subject I could choose from," Harry answered, blushing.

Draco chuckled and shook his head.

"Oh, I nearly forgot - Snape had agreed to teach me Occlumency again," Harry whispered.

"That's great! When is your first lesson?" Draco asked whispering.

"This Friday at nine p.m."

Further conversation was stopped by Trelawney who looked at them with her usual dreamy gaze.

"I see that everyone had returned healthy. I, of course, had foreseen that, but you can never be sure. Divination is a very complicated subject, but you, as sixth years, already know that. This year, we will start with explaining your dreams," Trelawney said dreamily.

One of the students replied, "But we already covered that."

"Not all of it, my dear, not all of it. You can never complete Divination. Nothing is ever sure." Trelawney shifted. "In the time of the Ancient Greeks, there was once…"

Harry tuned her voice out. He amused himself with doodling on his book, trying hard not to fall asleep.

* * *

Eventually, it was time for Charms, their last lesson of the day. They met Ron and Hermione at the door of the classroom.

"Harry, can you believe this? McGonagall gave me the Captain badge!" Ron exclaimed, showing the badge.

Harry smiled. "Congratulations, Ron."

"Yeah, though I don't understand why they didn't choose you as the Captain. Guess you just had bad luck, mate," Ron said, giving him a pat on his shoulder.

Harry was perfectly content with not telling Ron why he had received the badge, but Draco wasn't.

Draco, who found Ron looking a bit too smug for his liking, replied, "Harry is the reason why you're Captain now, Weasley."

"What?" Ron asked confused.

"Originally, Harry would have received the badge, but because he's now a Slytherin, that wasn't possible. McGonagall asked Harry's opinion on who would be the best choice and he chose you. So you see, Weasley, you wouldn't be a Captain if it wasn't for Harry." Draco sneered a bit.

Ron looked dumbfounded. "So I wasn't their first choice?" he asked incredulously.

"No, you weren't."

"Harry, why didn't you tell us that?" Hermione asked.

"I didn't think it was important." Harry shrugged.

"Not important? Me being second choice isn't important?" Ron asked, his cheeks red.

Harry frowned. "Why are you so angry?" he asked confused.

"I'm not… Just forget it, Harry," Ron said annoyed and stalked into the classroom with a scowl.

"What did I do wrong?" Harry asked thoroughly confused now.

Hermione just sighed and shook her head before following Ron.

"Don't worry, Harry. You did nothing wrong," Draco soothed him.

"But then why is Ron mad?"

"Because he's a prat," Draco stated flatly and steered Harry into the classroom.

Harry frowned, but didn't react. He was lucky that they were only reviewing the charms they had learned the past five years, because he was distracted. If they learned a new spell now, he wouldn't be able to remember it.

Harry spent his free period with Draco, playing Wizarding chess, before going down for dinner.

* * *

An hour after dinner had ended, Harry closed his book of Defence against the Dark Arts and sighed.

Draco looked up from his Ancient Runes textbook. "What's wrong, Harry?" he asked concerned.

"I'm going to visit Remus," Harry muttered and stood up.

"Do you want me to accompany you?" Draco offered.

Harry shook his head. "No, that's not necessary. I'll see you later." He took his wand and the Marauders' Map and left the room; this time without any of his pets. Once he was out of the common room, he tapped his wand on the map and whispered, "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good."

He searched until he found Remus' room. To his delight, both Remus and Sirius were in Remus' room on the third floor. With a whispered 'Mischief managed' he folded the map, hid it in his pocket and made his way up to the third floor. After five minutes he arrived at the portrait of a dark haired man, sitting in a chair with a dog lying at his feet. The man looked curiously at Harry.

"I don't know the password, but can you please inform Remus that Harry Potter wants to talk to him?" Harry asked, a bit shy and shuffled with his feet.

"I'm sorry, dear boy, but the man you're asking for isn't here now. He left with another teacher for a meeting with the headmaster, I believe." The man smiled gently." I can tell him you wanted to see him."

"No, that's not necessary. Thank you, sir," Harry replied softly and made his way back to the dungeons. This was just great; not only was Ron for some reason mad at him, but he couldn't even talk to Remus and Sirius.

Draco looked up surprised when he saw Harry back. "That was quickly," he commented. "Did you talk to him?"

Harry fell on his bed. "No, he wasn't there anymore when I arrived there. The portrait said he and Sirius had a meeting with Dumbledore," he mumbled dejected.

Draco opened his mouth to give comfort, when Harry muttered, "I'm going to bed. See you in the morning." He changed into his pyjamas and in less than five minutes, he had drawn his curtains close and feigned sleep. He knew he was being childish; pouting because he still hadn't talked to Remus or Sirius. He didn't need to clung to them like a little child and seek approval for everything he did, but he couldn't help it. If they didn't want him anymore, he had nowhere to go. He fell into an uneasy sleep and woke up tired the next morning.

Even though Draco had a free period first and could sleep in, he had gotten up, so that Harry wasn't alone. Harry gave him a small smile, but didn't react further. He played with his breakfast until it was time for his double period Care of Magical Creatures.

"I see you in Potions, okay?" Draco said softly.

Harry nodded and together with Blaise and Millicent, he walked outside to Hagrid's hut.

"Hiya, Harry. How are ya?" Hagrid asked, smiling.

"I'm fine, Hagrid and you?" Harry asked, standing beside Blaise.

"Can't complain. And Harry, it doesn' matter that you're a snake now. You're still same old Harry," Hagrid whispered.

Harry smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Hagrid."

Hagrid nodded and then addressed the class, which consisted of Slytherins and Gryffindors. Harry attempted to catch Ron's eyes, but Ron seemed to ignore him. Harry tried to ignore the hurt caused by Ron ignoring him.

"Well, it's fine to see ya all back here. I know you're all excited to see the creature we'll be studying first. They're really beauties," Hagrid started enthusiastically. Many uneasy looks were exchanged. If Hagrid was excited, it usually meant it was highly dangerous. "Unfortunately, I can't show ya the real beauty, seeing as it's so shy and it only comes out of his home with full moon. So, we'll be studying this creature with the help of pictures and our books. This, boys and girls, is a Mooncalf." Hagrid showed them a picture of a creature with a pale grey body, four spindly legs with big, flat feet and bulging, round eyes on top of its head. It didn't look that dangerous and the students relaxed and started taking notes.

"Now, before the mating begins, a Mooncalf will perform complicated dances on their hind legs to attract the females. Beside their beauty, they're also useful in Herbology, because their silvery dung will raise the growth of plants." Hagrid began to teach and the whole two hours were spent of taking notes about their lifestyle, their living areas and the mating process.

* * *

After the first period, Draco had his first lesson of Healing. The class was taught by Madam Pomfrey and Draco was surprised to see Neville Longbottom sitting in this class too.

He took a seat next to the shy Gryffindor boy and nodded briefly.

Neville started at being acknowledged by the Slytherin Ice Prince and smiled shyly. Then he gathered the little bravery he had and said, "Eh, Ma – Malfoy, can – can I ask something?"

Draco glanced at him briefly and decided to be nice to the stuttering boy. Harry seemed to like the shy boy, so Draco benefited by being nice to Longbottom. "Go ahead, Longbottom." He shrugged.

Neville produced something from out of his bag. "I – I was wondering if – if you wanted to give this to Ha – Harry. I want him to – to know that I still am his friend even – even when he's a Slytherin now. I – I figured it would give him – him some support," he stuttered, heavily blushing and he bit his lip, afraid that Draco would laugh at him.

Draco looked down and was surprised to see a little plant with small yellow flowers.

"This plant is known for his calming scent. I – I thought it could help him," Neville explained softly.

"I will give it to him in Potions. I'm sure he'll be happy with it," Draco replied and placed the plant in his bag.

Neville smiled and then turned his attention to Pomfrey, who started the lesson with naming the different bones in the body.

* * *

Draco greeted Harry with a smile when he saw him back in Potions. Almost automatically, Harry sat down next to Draco.

"Hey. Longbottom asked me to give you this plant to show his support. He still is your friend, even with you being a Slytherin. This plant is apparently known for its calming scent," Draco said and gave Harry the little plant.

Harry smiled surprised. "That was nice of him. I have to thank him later," he said and placed the plant carefully in his bag.

At that moment, Snape stalked into the room and the door closed with a loud BANG. Everyone went quiet.

"I want complete silence. Somehow you all managed to make it in Advanced Potions, so I assume you do possess some knowledge," Snape said, standing in front of the class, looking at each student, sneering when he looked at a Gryffindor. Harry vaguely thought it was nice to not have that sneer directed at him. "I know all of your professors start with reviewing the past five years, but I won't. If you don't know how to brow a potion correctly by now, then you don't belong in here and should go away, before something explodes. Today you will be making the Felix Felicis. This potion will bring you luck with only one drop and thus, it's difficult to make. You have two hours to brow. I want a vial on my desk before twelve a.m. You can find everything you need in the storeroom and in your book at page fifty – one. And by the next lesson I want an essay of ten feet long on what you would do if you swallowed the potion."

The class stared at him.

"Well, what are you waiting for? A personal invitation? Get started!" Snape barked.

Immediately, the whole class sprung in action, gathered the ingredients and lit the fire under their cauldrons.

Harry sneaked a glance at the Gryffindor side and saw Hermione and Ron sitting at one bench, whispering to each other. Harry felt a bit hurt, but focused on his potion. If he fucked up this one, he would surely be kicked out of Potions and he needed this subject for his Auror education. Besides, a part of him wanted to prove to Snape that he could do more than only being famous and excelling at DADA. He used his knowledge from his summer lessons with Snape to help him brew this potion and it all went well until the final stage. His potion still had a blue color when it was supposed to turn golden. He had no idea what he had done wrong and panic was slowly rising up. He only had four minutes to correct his mistake before the lesson ended.

Draco, who had seen Harry struggling, looked into his cauldron. He immediately knew what had gone wrong and handed Harry a leaf from an oak tree. "Here, drop this in your potion. It will clear up the color to golden," he whispered.

"Thanks," Harry whispered back relieved and dropped the leaf. After a minute, the blue color had changed to golden. "Thank you so much for helping me, Draco. I really had no idea on how to fix it."

"Don't mention it," Draco smiled and together they brought their vial to Snape's desk.

Snape looked at Draco's vial first and nodded approvingly. Ron and Hermione placed their vials on the desk too. Hermione's potion was still blue and Snape looked at it disdainfully before jotting down a mark, not acknowledging the exhausted girl with smudges dirt on her cheeks and messed up, curly hair. Ron's potion resembled something like black mud and Snape sneered. "Is this your version of Felix Felicis? This is pathetic, Weasley. Instead of luck, it will bring you death. Do read the instructions next time."

Ron's face went red and he looked furious, but didn't reply.

Then Snape reached for Harry's vial and studied it. Harry waited with hold breath and he crossed his fingers.

Snape nodded approvingly. "This is an excellent potion, Potter. Twenty points to Slytherin."

Harry almost gaped when he heard that he had gotten points from Snape. He had never received points before from Snape and he smiled happily.

However his happiness was cut short when Ron said, "That's not fair! Malfoy helped him! He didn't make this potion on his own."

Harry stared at Ron. What was he doing? Why couldn't he be happy for Harry? Ron knew how much trouble Harry had with Potions. Besides, Draco had only helped him at the end and only with one thing!

"Potter made this potion on his own. I never saw Malfoy helping him," Snape said calmly, but his voice held a warning not to reply back.

Ron didn't heed this warning. "I bet you only gave him points, because he's a snake now too," he said, sneering lightly.

The only people seeing the hurt in Harry's eyes were Snape and Draco.

"Fifty points from Gryffindor for daring to suggest I play favourites," Snape snapped.

That only fueled Ron's anger. "That's bloody unfair! You can't do that!"

"Detention with Filch, this Friday at eight p.m. Class dismissed," Snape snapped.

Everyone raced out of the room, Ron ranting to Hermione.

"Harry, don't listen to that idiot. He didn't have the right to say that," Draco said and laid his arm around Harry's shoulders.

"But he's right; you did help me," Harry said softly, hurt clear in his voice.

"With a minor thing, Potter. The point is, you made that potion on your own. That deserved points. Don't let Weasley's temper get to you," Snape said brusquely.

Harry nodded weakly.

"Go to the Great Hall; it's lunch time now," Snape said.

* * *

That evening was the first time Harry's magic lashed out at Hermione. She had followed him and Draco after Astronomy to explain why Ron had reacted that way. She told him that it had indeed been unfair that Harry had received points and that he shouldn't have rubbed it in Ron's face that Harry had been the original Captain. Harry should be more understanding, because Ron was having a hard time with adjusting to the fact that his best friend was a snake now. Being second choice didn't help either. And was Harry thinking about them or was he too absorbed with his new friends now?

That little snide remark had made Harry's magic lashing out, causing burns to appear on Hermione's arms. She had shrieked and jumped out of the way.

* * *

The second time his magic lashed out was on Wednesday morning, when Harry read the Daily Prophet. Apparently some of the students had owled their parents of Harry's new House and they had alerted the press. Four pages were devoted to the question: would Harry Potter turn dark now that he was a Slytherin? Would the world still have his Saviour or would he join Voldemort? Thanks to the articles, most students were now watching him with wariness.

Harry reached just in time an empty classroom to vent his rage and frustration. The whole room was destroyed by the time Harry had calmed down.

His mood fell even lower when he, once again, couldn't speak to Sirius or Remus. Remus seemed to ignore him in the lesson and that evening they had once again a meeting.

* * *

By the time Thursday ended, Harry was feeling depressed. His best friends were angry at his success in Potions and his out lash at Hermione and Remus and his godfather were still not talking to him. After dinner had ended, Harry had locked himself up in an unused classroom, wondering what he had done wrong to Remus and Sirius. If they didn't want him anymore, they could at least say it to him. He wouldn't be angry at them. He would understand it even.

Draco, who felt rather desperate now, went to his godfather for help.

"Enter," Snape said and Draco came in.

"Severus, you've got to help Harry. He has locked himself up in the second room on the second floor and won't get out. He's feeling depressed because those idiotic Gryffindorks ignore him and Black and Lupin haven't talked to him since Sunday. He needs your help," Draco hurried to explain, wanting nothing more than to soothe and embrace Harry.

Snape looked up sharply. "They still haven't talked to him?"

Draco shook his head.

"Those idiots," Snape growled and stood up. "Go back to the dorms, Draco. I will have a little talk with the wolf and the mutt."

"Thank you," Draco said gratefully.

Snape stalked to Lupin's quarters, a scowl on his face. What did those idiots think they were doing? They knew how much Potter counted on them.

The portrait opened when he saw the furious scowl on Snape's face and let him through. He knew better than to ask the password from this man.

Both Remus and Sirius looked up surprised when Snape stormed into the room.

"Severus, what are you doing here?" Remus asked surprised.

"I'm here to drag your sorry arses to your godson, who's depressed now because his own godfathers, the men who claim to love him, are ignoring him," Snape hissed, his black eyes burning. "What do you think you're doing? You know how much Potter relies on you. The boy sees you as his family. Why won't you talk to him? Potter is now afraid you don't want him as a Slytherin and his magic is all messed up now. He's more explosive than ever."

Remus looked truly shocked. "I didn't know he thought that. I have been terribly busy with school, but I thought he knew we wouldn't abandon him. We still love him, even as a Slytherin."

"You don't have to say that to me, but to him. And how was he supposed to know that? He's been neglected all his life. He needs those reassurances to be verbal. Black?" Snape turned to him.

"It's just… I'm still getting used to the fact that he's a Slytherin now," Sirius said uncomfortably and shifted a bit.

Snape sneered. "So you're going to dump him, because he isn't a Gryffindor anymore? If you do, then you're not worth it to call yourself Potter's godfather. I'll say this only once; get your arses out of this room and talk to the boy before he sets a room on fire. If you're going to be bloody prejudicial idiots, then you're not worth Potter's worrying. And if you upset him, I won't hold Draco back from killing you. I might even give him some advice. Go to the second room on the second floor," Snape hissed and stormed out of the room.

"Snivellus is right. I need to go to my godson," Sirius said, feeling ashamed and awful for causing Harry hurt.

Remus nodded and followed him to the second floor. Remus opened the door with 'Alohomora' and their hearts broke when they saw Harry curled up on the desk sobbing.

They rushed towards him and hugged him.

"Ssh, Harry, we're here. We're here now. Everything is all right. We won't leave you," Sirius muttered and Remus rubbed Harry's back.

Harry looked up with teary eyes. "So – so you don't hate me?" he asked in a small voice.

"Of course not! We could never hate you! Why would we?" Remus asked shocked. So Snape was telling the truth about Harry's feelings…

"Because I'm a Slytherin now and you were proud because I was a Gryffindor," Harry hiccupped.

"Cub, it doesn't matter in what House you're in. We care about you and love you because of you, not because of a House," Remus soothed and stroked his unruly hair.

"Yeah, pup, we will always love you. I can get used to you being a Slytherin," Sirius smiled.

"You promise you won't leave me?" Harry asked in a small voice, looking like a little child seeking approval.

"Pup, we swear we won't leave you. Ever. You won't get rid of us," Sirius said and gave Harry a kiss on his forehead.

"We love you, cub. That's not something that will ever change," Remus smiled.

Harry smiled weakly and hugged the two men, letting their scents calm him down.

A pair of silver grey eyes looked at them tenderly and the door closed softly. Draco smiled; one problem was solved. Harry was back with his family.

Sirius and Remus continued to hug their godson and let him know he was loved. That night, Harry fell asleep peacefully and with a smile. He had his family back and everything would be fine.


	17. Golden Trio?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: the end of the Golden Trio; maybe a bit OOC at some points
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 17: Golden Trio?**

_6_ _th_ _of September_

On Friday morning Harry woke up with a smile. Sirius and Remus didn't hate him; they still wanted him. A warm feeling rose up in his chest.

"Good morning, Harry."

Harry smiled. "Good morning, Draco," he said chipper and jumped out of bed, grabbing his clothes and went into the bathroom to take a shower. The warm water relaxed him and he stood there for five more minutes, just enjoying the water.

When he left the bathroom, he saw Draco already changed in the school uniform trying to wake up Blaise. He didn't have much success with it.

"Let me try," Harry offered and stood at the end of the bed.

Draco shrugged and went to stand next to Harry. "Be my guest."

Harry conjured a bucket filled with ice water and dropped it on Blaise.

Blaise shrieked when the ice water hit him, jumped out of bed and fell face flat on the floor. He groaned and sat up, his teeth chattering from the cold, glaring at the two boys standing before him.

"That woke him up," Harry said dryly and tucked his wand in his pocket.

That comment proved to be too much for Draco and laughter escaped him.

Harry was surprised when he heard Draco's laugh – he didn't hear it very often – but joined him.

Blaise stood up and grabbed his clothes. "I'm getting you for this, Harry. You can count on it," he muttered darkly and disappeared into the bathroom.

"Should I be afraid?" Harry asked amused.

Draco cocked his head to the side. "No. What's the worst he can do? Smother you with his eau de cologne?"

Harry chuckled. He had discovered on his second day that Blaise wore eau de cologne every day in excessive amounts to attract 'pretty ladies and boys'. Nobody was allowed to touch the bottles and to be certain, Blaise had casted spells on it that would cover everyone in purple slime if they touched the eau de cologne.

Still chuckling, the two boys made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast. Most students eyed Harry warily, remembering the articles in the Daily Prophet.

Harry sighed and sat down at the table. "You would think that they wouldn't believe the Daily Prophet after the rubbish they published last year," he muttered gloomy.

"I'm sure they will eventually get tired of this. There is only so much they can talk about in these articles. As long as you don't start killing others while demanding they have to call you the new 'Dark Lord', you'll be fine and they will leave you alone," Draco smiled and then greeted Millicent who had just sat down. "Good morning, Millicent."

"Good morning, Draco, Harry," she greeted back and grabbed some toast and butter.

"Good morning, Millicent," Harry smiled and then stuck out his tongue at Draco. "Really funny, Draco. I'm laughing myself to death here." He rolled his eyes.

"I hope you stop laughing then, because I really don't want to tell your godfathers how you died. Black would probably kill me if he heard that I was the cause of the death of his precious godson," Draco said mock seriously.

"What on earth are you talking about?" Millicent asked bemused.

"Draco is being an idiot," Harry replied dryly and bit into his toast.

"That's not new," Blaise grinned and sat across from Harry.

Draco scowled at him.

Automatically, Harry glanced at the Gryffindor table. As always, they were laughing and talking amiably with each other. Well, everyone except a few - Pansy, Ron and Hermione. It wasn't such a shock to see Pansy glaring; she had been doing that all week – besides complaining how it was unfair that she was stuck with Gryffindorks and that her poor Drakey had to put up with that awful Boy – Who – Lived. Most students stopped listening to her at the end of the second school day.

Ron, however, was glaring daggers at his food, which was shocking, because Ron loved food. Hermione was switching between reading her book and talking to Ron. Neville caught his eyes and smiled shyly. Harry smiled back. At least one of his friends wasn't mad at him.

"Ready for Potions?" Draco asked.

Harry startled a bit. "Yes, let's go." He stood up, grabbed his bag and after one last glance at the Gryffindor table, he left the Great Hall, together with Draco, Blaise and Millicent.

"Did you read the text about the Draught of the Living Death?" Draco asked, while they made their way to Snape's classroom.

"Yes." Harry nodded. He had read the text yesterday, right after his last lesson.

"No way. Really?" Draco asked incredulously.

"Why is that so unbelievable? I do my homework, you know," Harry said, defending himself.

"Of course you do," Draco retorted and patted Harry on his head.

Harry growled and swatted his hand away. "Idiot."

The group only stopped laughing when they entered the classroom. Snape looked up from his book and nodded briefly. They took their seats and opened their textbook.

One minute later, the rest of the Slytherins and the Gryffindors poured in and took their seats.

Ron looked towards the Slytherin side and glared when he saw Harry smiling at something Malfoy had said. "Since when does Harry arrive so early?" he asked, still mad that he would serve detention because he just had stated the truth.

Hermione glanced quickly at the pair and pursed her lips. "Since Malfoy drags him to every class."

"I still don't like it that Harry is friends," Ron sneered at that word, "with ferret boy. Since he's friends with Malfoy, he had hardly looked at us."

"That will change soon. I'm sure Harry regrets the fact that he has neglected us. We can talk to him in our free period," Hermione soothed.

Ron smiled. "All right."

"Silence." Snape's smooth voice wasn't loud, but everyone shut up immediately. "We will start next week with the Draught of the Living Death. I ordered you to read the text, so it should be no problem to take notes, even if some have a limited brain capacity." Snape's look rested for a few seconds on Ron, who went red, but was smart enough not to react.

"Who can tell me what the Draught of the Living Death does to a person?" Snape quirked an eyebrow and ignored the hand Hermione was almost waving in the air, desperate to say the answer. "Potter?"

Harry started when Snape called his name and hastily tried to remember what he had read. "Eh, if someone drinks it, the potion will slow down the heartbeat and the breathing until it's almost non – existent. The person falls into some sort of coma and to the outside world, it will look like that person is dead when in reality the person still lives," Harry answered and blushed when everyone looked at him surprised.

"Very good, Potter. Twenty points to Slytherin." Snape nodded to him and continued to tell the history of the potion.

Harry smiled happily at receiving points again from Snape and started to take notes.

Hermione was peeved that she hadn't been picked out to answer and wondered why Harry had been able to answer. He had never been as good as she in Potions, be it theory or practice, so why was he suddenly so good in this? Did he receive help from Malfoy? If he did, then he wasn't really suited for this class. Oh well, she still had higher marks than him and that would never change.

A pair of red eyes glared at the girl from beneath Harry's chair. That girl was working on Ruby's nerves. From the moment he had smelled her, he knew that she and most of those redheads were trouble for his master. They didn't smell right. He wished he could just bite them, but his master didn't want the others to see him. Ruby assumed it had to do something with that old man who smelled like lemon. That man was the most dangerous one to his master. For now, Ruby could do nothing but protect his master in his invisible state. Ruby looked at the blond boy sitting next to his master. Contrary to the others, this boy was one of the few with good intentions to his master. That was the only reason why the boy didn't suffer.

Ruby stood up when his master rose and followed behind him. The snake was guarding their master in the front and he would guard him in his back.

* * *

The group made their way to the greenhouses for their second lesson Herbology. This class was again with the Gryffindors. They were studying plants that were used in the Draught of the Living Death. Because some of them were poisonous when inhaled, they all had to wear masks to cover their noses and mouths. They sketched the plants and took notes.

The end of the lesson signaled the beginning of their free period.

"What do you think of spending our free period outside? The weather is beautiful," Harry suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Draco smiled.

"Splendid idea," Blaise grinned.

"I can't. I promised Daphne I would help her with her Charms. See you at lunch," Millicent excused herself and walked back to the castle.

The three boys settled themselves in the grass in front of the lake and enjoyed the sun on their faces. Even Garin had come out from beneath Harry's shirt to enjoy the warmth.

Harry blinked when two shadows blocked the sun.

"Harry, we need to talk," Hermione said seriously.

"Eh, alright," Harry said surprised.

"Can we talk somewhere else? It's private," Hermione added.

"I guess." Harry shrugged and stood up." Be back in a minute," he muttered to Draco and Blaise.

Draco narrowed his eyes, but nodded. Harry followed Hermione and Ron to the edge of the Dark Forest.

Blaise raised an eyebrow when he saw how far Hermione and Ron had taken Harry to talk. "What do you think they want to talk about?"

Draco snorted. "They will probably try to convince Harry that we are evil wizards and that he should come back to the Light side," he replied sarcastically.

Blaise chuckled amused.

* * *

"So what do you want to talk about?" Harry asked and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"About you," Ron said brusquely.

Harry blinked. "What about me?"

"About the fact that you spend more time with Malfoy than you do with us," Ron said and crossed his arms.

Harry sighed irritated and raked a hand through his hair. "Don't start again, guys."

"What? It's true! You barely spend time with us and it's gotten worse since you're in Slytherin. We barely talk with each other," Ron snapped.

"I spend time with Draco because he's my friend and we're in the same House now. You're the ones who are avoiding me. You won't even give Draco a chance," Harry retorted annoyed.

"I told you before, Harry, I don't trust him. He's not worth being your friend," Hermione replied stubbornly.

"And you are? Friends wouldn't be mad if their friend had gotten points for a potion. They would be happy for him. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I remember that you were pissed off when Snape gave me those points, Ron," Harry said coolly.

"Ah, come on, Harry, can you blame me? I mean, I'm having a hard time now with the fact that my best friend is a snake now," Ron protested. "I'm still getting used to it."

"And I'm not having a hard time? I'm the one who is dropped into another House and I'm the one who gets stared at because they all think I will turn dark now. But I'm not getting mad at you when you receive points," Harry said angrily, his temper rising.

"But Harry, you have to admit that Snape only gave you points, because you're in Slytherin now. If you had delivered that potion as a Gryffindor, Snape probably wouldn't have looked at it," Hermione said, her temper flaring too.

"So you don't think I can improve on a subject? That I can't receive points now and then because you're the smart one? Thanks a lot, Hermione," Harry said icily.

"You know that's not how I meant it, Harry. Look, why don't you just spend more time with us, instead of Malfoy? Everyone sees that he has a bad influence on you. He's causing a rift between us, can't you see?" Hermione said, trying to let Harry see her side. "We forgive you for your out lash at me and for rubbing it into Ron's face that you were the originally Captain – not that you did that on purpose. I'm sure it was just an accident," she added hastily.

Harry looked at them, not believing what they were saying. Draco, a bad influence? He had rubbed it in Ron's face that he was the original Captain? They forgave him for his out lash? Were these peopled the ones he had called his best friends? Had they always been like this or had they all changed?

Harry didn't know for sure who had changed the most: he or them. One thing he knew for certain; it would be almost impossible to stay friends with Ron and Hermione when they were like this as well as with Draco. One of the two friendships would soon end. Harry thought about his two friendships. It was true that he and Draco had a rough past, but ever since that day with the Dursleys where he and Draco had started their friendship, the boy had been nothing but being a true friend for him. They had spent almost all their time together this past summer. Draco had shopped with him, had given him a beautiful birthday present and had held him after that awful dream. Even now at school they didn't part. He could laugh with Draco and talk to him. If Draco had bad intentions, he would have acted on it weeks ago. He wouldn't see the need to soothe Harry when he woke up from that awful nightmare. If anything, he would have told everyone how Harry Potter had cried like a baby after a nightmare. But he hadn't.

While Ron and Hermione…

Harry still remembered the hurt he felt in his fourth year when Ron had been avoiding him, because he believed that Harry had put his name in the Goblet of Fire. How easily it had been for Ron to drop him. Harry still didn't understand why Ron hadn't believed him. And Hermione… She had never dropped him, but as of late she had done nothing but criticize him and make him feel bad. Even now she was criticizing him with his choice of friends. How much was he willing to accept from them?

Right now, Draco was a better friend than them. Harry was sad; had it really come to this? That his former school enemy was a better friend that his first? That he felt much more comfortable with Draco than with Ron and Hermione – two people he had known since he was eleven? Maybe it was for the best. Harry knew they were drifting apart. They had been drifting apart for months now, but he had refused to believe that. He had tried to cling onto his friends; the first friends he had ever made. It was hard, but it was for the best that they split now. Harry didn't think they could ever repair the rift that stood between them. He still had Draco to depend on and he was even warming up to Blaise. He had his family too. It would be hard, but he would manage. Maybe they could try being friends again later. But for now, he needed space from them.

Harry looked at them and sighed. "You know, you're right. Draco has an influence on me," he started quietly.

Ron and Hermione beamed. "I knew you would see it our way, Harry. Come, you can catch up with Dean and Seamus. They miss you," Hermione smiled and wanted to grab Harry's wrist.

Harry took a step back, out of her reach and shook his head. "I wasn't finished. Draco let me see who my real friends are. And I'm sorry but right now, Draco is being a better friend than you," he continued softly.

They gasped.

"Harry, you don't mean that," Hermione said with tears in her eyes.

"I mean it, Hermione."

"So you're just going to dump us for those snakes?" Ron snapped. "Merlin, Harry, being a snake is really changing you and not in a good way."

"Believe what you want. I just don't think that this friendship will work. Good bye," Harry said softly and made his way back to Draco and Blaise.

Ron clenched his fist in anger but led Hermione back to the castle. They would find a solution for this. Harry would come back to them, he was sure.

Draco was concerned when he saw Harry's sad face. "Harry, what's wrong?"

"Yeah, what's up? Did the Golden Trio split?" Blaise said jokingly.

Harry looked up at the sky. "I suppose we did."

"What?" Both boys stared at Harry.

"Why did that happen and how?" Draco asked confused.

"It was just… They tried to convince me again that you are a bad influence and that I should spend more time with them, instead of with you. Oh yeah, they also forgave me my out lash and the fact that I had rubbed it in Ron's face that I was the original Captain. They were… annoying me. I thought about it and I just realized we were drifting apart for months now. Even if you and I weren't friends, I doubt we would have been friends much longer. It had to happen sometime," Harry answered softly.

"I'm sorry. It's too bad you had to end it this way. Are you okay?" Draco asked concerned.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Harry sighed.

Draco decided to risk a joke. "Well, I did warn you in our first year - I'm the best choice."

It worked. Harry chuckled. "Yes, you did. Who would've thought you would be right about something?"

"Hey!" Draco said offended.

Harry smiled a little and then sighed when he looked at his watch. "We better get going before we're too late for Transfiguration."

The two other boys nodded and followed Harry – after casting each other a worried look. How badly was Harry affected by the end of the Golden Trio? He acted fine, but they both knew he wasn't. And how could he be fine? He had just broken with people who had been his best friends for years. On top of that, Harry also had to get used to being a Slytherin.

Draco knew it was awful and horrible of him, but he was sort of happy that Harry had broken with Granger and Weasley. He had always known they weren't good for Harry. A Weasley and a Know – It – All Mudbl – Granger? Draco shuddered at that thought. Thank Merlin Harry had come to his senses and had dumped them.

* * *

By the end of the day the whole school knew about the fall out of the Golden Trio. This time the students were whispering and guessing what had happened to cause this. Some said it was because Harry had wanted to date Hermione (Harry grimaced when he heard that one) and Ron had been furious about it because he wanted Hermione ( _now that one was possible_ , Harry thought). Others claimed it was because Harry had flirted with Ginny (really, what was everyone thinking?) and Ron had gotten mad. Then there was the rumor that the hatred between Gryffindor and Slytherin had gotten between the Trio and had ripped them apart. The last rumor (which Harry silently admitted was the closest one to the truth) claimed that Draco Malfoy was somehow involved in the breakup of the Trio.

"Well, at least they're not afraid anymore that I'll turn dark," Harry grimaced when they sat down for dinner. "That's the positive side of this."

"That gossip will stop soon enough," Draco soothed.

"You think?" Harry asked hesitatingly.

"I'm sure of it." Draco nodded. _Otherwise some threats will be given_ , he smirked.

Suddenly a guy from Hufflepuff appeared behind them. "Is it true?"

"Is what true?" Blaise asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Is it true that the Golden Trio split up?" the boy repeated his question, looking eager for an answer.

"I don't think it's your business," Draco snapped.

"I just want to know what happened," the Hufflepuff protested.

"And I want to hex you, but that can't happen either," Draco said annoyed.

"Draco, calm down," Harry said and briefly touched Draco's arm before turning to the Hufflepuff. "Can you please go back to your table?"

"But why can't you tell us? We have the right to know what has happened," the boy replied stubbornly.

"No, you don't have a right to know. None of you have a right to pry in my private life. So no, I'm not going to tell you what happened. Now, please go back to your table," Harry said, trying to stay calm.

The boy huffed. "Fine," he muttered annoyed and walked back to the Hufflepuff table. The others at the table looked disappointed when the boy had nothing to tell them.

* * *

Two pairs of amber coloured and blue grey eyes looked concerned at Harry.

"Did you hear what happened?" Sirius asked, looking troubled.

Remus nodded. "Yes. Do you think he'll be all right?" He knew how much Harry cared for his friends and was immensely surprised to hear that they had split up. Remus wondered what had happened to make Harry take this decision. He assumed Harry had taken the initiative to break with his friends, considering Ron and Hermione were glaring at Harry.

Snape snorted. "He's Potter. He will survive. I'm just surprised it has taken so long for Potter to realize that his so called friends are worth as much as one Knut. Be glad he got rid of them."

"Why do you say that? They were best friends." Remus frowned.

"They were best friends months ago. Haven't you noticed how their friendship was falling apart this summer? They were never best friends to begin with." Snape rolled his eyes.

"But they were fine, just a few days ago," Sirius protested.

"Gryffindors aren't exactly known for their observation skills, but surely you must have noticed how bad it has gotten between them. Mister Weasley had even thrown a fit, because Potter received some points of me for a made potion," Snape answered calmly.

Sirius and Remus gaped at him. "You gave Harry points?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"It was a good potion. Stop pulling those ridiculous faces," Snape snapped.

Both men closed their mouths.

"Anyway, apparently Granger had reprimanded Potter for receiving points; she deemed it unfair. The result was that Potter's magic lashed out and burned her a bit," Snape snorted.

"Did you see Harry lashing out?" Sirius asked frowning. He couldn't imagine Harry acting so violently.

"No."

"Then how do you know Harry lashed out?" Sirius asked confused.

"I have my resources," Snape simply answered.

"Are you spying on Harry?" Remus asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's Potter we're talking about," Snape replied cryptically.

The men just shook their head, not bothering to try to understand Snape's answer.

"We can visit him after dinner," Remus suggested, thinking it would be best if Harry had the chance to talk with them. He had to be upset about the ending of his friendship.

"No, you can't," Snape interjected, taking a sip from his water.

"Why not?" Sirius glared.

"Because he has an appointment with me," Snape murmured, keeping his voice low to avoid the Headmaster from listening in on their conversation.

Dumbledore was happily chattering with Flitwick.

"Appointment? What kind of appointment?" Sirius frowned, keeping his voice low too.

"Let's just say that boy needs to have more… control over his mind," Snape said carefully.

Both men were surprised when they realized Harry would learn Occlumency again.

"When was this decided?" Remus asked curiously.

"Ask the boy," Snape answered.

Sirius and Remus glanced at each other and decided to talk to Harry tomorrow.

* * *

Two hours later, Harry stood before Snape's door; Garin curled around his neck. Ruby and Sapphire were in the dorms, lying on his bed. The only light in the dark hallway of the dungeon came from a torch next to the door.

Draco had wanted to accompany him to Snape's quarters, but Harry had managed to convince him to stay in the dorms. He really didn't need a babysitter. Harry cringed at that thought. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Enter." Snape's voice sounded clear, even through the door.

Harry opened the door and slipped inside. He looked around and saw Snape sitting behind his desk, looking through some papers.

"Take a seat, Potter." Snape gestured to the chair across from him.

Harry sat down and waited patiently until Snape paid attention to him. He didn't have to wait long.

"So, Potter, do you think you can clear your mind enough, even though you have ended your friendship with your dear Gryffindors?" Snape asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Harry groaned. "You heard that?"

Snape smirked. "Of course. The whole school is wondering why their Saviour has broken off his friendship with his Gryffindor friends."

"Of course they're wondering," Harry muttered.

Snape studied him. "We can talk about your problems on another time, but we have Occlumency now."

"Huh?" Harry asked baffled. Problems? What problems?

"We will take a different approach this time, since last time didn't work." Snape's lip curled up at the memory.

Harry blushed ashamed. "Yeah, about that, I apologize for seeing your memories. I went too far," he muttered, not looking Snape in the eyes.

Snape looked at him for a moment with unreadable eyes and then nodded. "For tonight, I want you to concentrate on clearing your mind from every thought – how difficult that may be for you," he said dryly.

Harry ignored the jab and asked, "What are you going to do, sir?"

"I'm going to test your barriers. I'm not going to use Legilimency yet," Snape replied.

Harry nodded and closed his eyes. _All right, clear all the thoughts_ , Harry thought and forced himself to clear his mind. It went well for a few seconds, then he thought about Ron and Hermione and the fight they had today. "Shit," he cursed.

"Just try again. It's not going to work from the first try," Snape said calmly.

Harry took a deep breath and then tried again.

He practiced for two hours straight and when Snape called an end to it, he felt tired. This was weird, considering he hadn't done anything too difficult.

"Get some rest. Until our next lesson, I want you to practice clearing your mind – preferably not in my lessons. Practice before you go to sleep. You can go now," Snape ordered, sitting back in his chair. He had spent two hours testing Potter's barriers and he was feeling a bit tired too.

Harry nodded and just when he was about to leave, Snape said, "The mutt and the wolf want to see you tomorrow."

"Why?" Harry asked curiously.

Snape scoffed. "Because they are worried obviously."

Harry contemplated that and nodded. "Goodnight, sir."

"Goodnight, Potter."

Harry was so exhausted when he finally made it to his bed that he didn't notice Draco's relieved face. Neither did he see the tender smile that was directed at him.

* * *

The next day, Harry was cuddled and soothed by Sirius and Remus. They told him he could always come to them whenever he wanted and when they heard the reason why Harry wanted to learn Occlumency from Snape (to avoid Dumbledore and Voldemort rummaging in his head) they praised him for his good idea.

* * *

The following weeks were… exhausting and strange. Harry had Occlumency lessons every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and he was beginning to get a grasp of it. Besides the Occlumency lessons, he had to work on his homework too, practice Quidditch every Thursday and Sunday with the Slytherin team and he visited Remus and Sirius every week. Throughout the weeks, Harry had gotten closer to Draco and Blaise.

Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the Gryffindors. Ever since Harry had ended his friendship with Ron and Hermione, the atmosphere had turned icy between Harry and the Gryffindor House. Harry didn't know what they had told the others, but it was clear Harry didn't come out of it positively. The Gryffindors were throwing glares at him whenever he entered a room or when he received points. The only ones being friendly were Neville and Dean.

Harry was confused and hurt by the Gryffindors' rejection – people he had considered his friends – and as a result, Harry sought out Draco more and more. Not that Draco minded that – in fact he was very pleased that he was one of the few people that could make Harry laugh these days. He only regretted that Harry was shunned by his former House. That had never been his goal.

If Harry had any hopes to reconcile with the Gryffindors, he had to squash that down. One stupid thing would be the cause of hatred between Gryffindor and Slytherin so severe that the goal of the spell – bringing a united front – would be too optimistic to hope for. The cause of the hatred? Harry had rejected Ginny when she had asked him out to go to Hogsmeade on the thirteenth of October. Harry, who had no romantic feelings for Ginny, had gently turned her down and had said she was more like a sister to him. Ginny had burst out in tears and had left the Great Hall, leaving a guilty Harry behind.

That evening – at dinner – Ron had stormed over to the Slytherin table and had demanded to know why Harry had dared to turn down his sister. Harry had explained that he didn't have any romantic feelings for Ginny. Ron had exploded and had yelled, "Aren't Gryffindor girls not good enough for you anymore? Or are we too poor for you now that you're Malfoy's friend? You better watch your back, Potter!" Afterwards, he had stormed out of the hall.

That night Harry and Draco slept in the same bed again, with Sapphire and Ruby curled up at their feet and Garin sleeping next to Harry's head. Harry had been so hurt and Draco's soothing words had caused him to cry. Exhausted, he had fallen asleep in Draco's arms. Before falling asleep too, Draco had spelled his curtains shut to avoid Peeping Toms.

* * *

The next morning, Harry received a message from Dumbledore.

" _Harry, my dear boy_

_I'm pleased to let you know that our first lesson starts on the sixth of October, at seven thirty p.m. Be sure to be on time. You don't need anything else besides your wand._

_Greetings_

_A. Dumbledore_

_P.S. I like chocolate cupcakes."_

Harry sighed. _Well, at least I can protect my mind better than a few months ago_ , he thought resigned.

How would his lesson with Dumbledore go?


	18. Dreaded lesson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: bad Dumbledore, description of severe wounds, blood and a bit of violence
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

 

**Chapter 18: Dreaded lesson**

"Who's the note from?" Blaise asked curiously.

Harry folded the note. "From Dumbledore. He has arranged our first lesson."

"I don't like how that sounds." Draco frowned dissatisfied.

"Neither do I, but it's not like I have a choice," Harry sighed.

"Are you visiting Lupin and Black again today?" Draco asked, grabbing some toast.

Harry nodded. Today was Saturday; he had made it a routine to visit Remus and Sirius every Saturday to catch up and to generally spend more time with them.

"Too bad I can't come too. Sev wants to see me," Draco pouted, not wanting to let Harry out of his sight. He still didn't realize how possessive that sounded.

"I'll tell them you said hello," Harry smiled.

Draco snorted.

Something red caught Harry's eyes, but he quickly looked away when he saw that Ron had entered the Great Hall, together with Hermione. Harry was still hurt by Ron's reaction in general, but resolved to not think about that. What was done, was done.

* * *

Half an hour later Harry made his way to Remus' quarters, Ruby following next to him. His other cat, Sapphire, was walking in front of him, tail in the air and Garin was sleeping in his neck. He arrived at the portrait guarding the rooms.

"Padfoot rules." Harry rolled his eyes when he said the password. It was obvious Sirius had chosen the password. The portrait smiled and flew open.

"Good morning, cub," Remus greeted, smiling and appeared in the living room.

Harry smelled the calming scent of fire and wood in that hung in the air and smiled back. "Hello Remus. Where is Sirius?" he asked, looking around.

A loud bark and a vicious hiss startled him and he turned around to see Padfoot standing in the doorway of the bedroom glaring at Sapphire.

"Sapphire, come here, girl." Harry patted his leg and after glaring at Padfoot, she walked over to Harry, spinning and butting his leg with her head.

Padfoot turned back into his human form.

"Did you have to bark at Sapphire?" Remus sighed and sat down on the couch.

"I don't like cats," Sirius sniffed and sat down next to Remus. He smiled at Harry. "Hey pup."

"Morning, Sirius," Harry greeted back and sat down in a chair across from the two men.

"How have you been?" Remus asked lightly, but his eyes were showing his concern.

"I'm fine. Just a bit tired from the Occlumency lessons and the Quidditch practice. Draco can be a real slave driver sometimes. How are you?" Harry asked, relaxing in the chair. Sapphire jumped on his lap, started purring and stretched out when Harry stroked her back.

"Some students are a pain in the arse – "

"Sirius!"

"But I'm fine. I never thought I would enjoy teaching. Of course it's awesome I get to see my godson every day and mess with Moony," Sirius grinned.

Remus rolled his eyes. "Don't pay attention to him. He's being hyper again for no apparent reason."

"Say, Harry, where is your blond attachment?" Sirius asked, shifting on the couch until he was lying down with his legs on Remus' legs. Remus looked down at them with raised eyebrows and poked them a few times, but sighed when Sirius didn't pull his legs back.

"Do you mean Draco?" Harry asked confused.

"Of course; do you know any other blond attachment?" Sirius said amused.

Harry blushed. "He's not an attachment! He had to speak with Snape." He shrugged.

"So, how far are your Occlumency lessons?" Remus asked curiously, absentmindedly tracing patterns on Sirius' leg.

"It's going well! I can keep Snape out of my head for ten minutes now," Harry replied enthusiastically.

"That's fantastic, Harry! We're proud of you!" Sirius grinned.

"Yeah," Harry smiled, but then bit on his lower lip.

"What's the matter, cub?" Remus asked, recognizing the biting on the lip as something Lily used to do when she was worrying about something.

"Dumbledore sent me a note," Harry mumbled and handed over the note.

Sirius sat up and read the note together with Remus. They both frowned.

"I don't get a good feeling with this," Sirius growled.

"Me neither." Remus shook his head.

"I know, but it's not like I have a choice. I mean, he's the Headmaster and most of the Light side worships him. It's pathetic really," Harry muttered.

"We can't do much about this," Remus said, obviously frustrated with that. "Just promise us you watch out for yourself and use as much Occlumency as you can."

"Yeah. I was planning on doing that." Harry nodded. "I just wish this war will be over soon."

Sirius and Remus looked at each other and then back at their godson. "We hope that too, pup," Sirius said softly.

* * *

"Your father send you a letter," his godfather said and handed over the letter.

Draco nodded and opened the letter. His father's elegant handwriting greeted him and his eyes shot from one side to the other while he read.

' _Dear son_

_I'm glad to hear that you and Harry are well. Send my greetings to him. I hope that you're right and that Harry will survive Slytherin. Although I doubt he will have problems that he can't face; considering you told me about his fall out with his so called friends. It's good that Harry knows where his true alliances lie. Try to support him, because I have a feeling that there will be repercussions for Harry's decision to break up with his friends._

_I hope you won't get noticed much by the Headmaster. Here is all well. I am currently residing in one of our estates near Gloucester. So far everything has been calm. No need to worry._

_Until the next letter._

_All my love_

_Your father.'_

Draco looked up from the letter. "Why didn't he send this with the owl post?"

"He was afraid that the owls are being checked," Snape answered.

"Oh." Draco nodded in understanding.

"How have you been, Dragon?" Snape asked and sat down in the chair across from the blond boy, letting his mask of the stern teacher fall.

"Great. I'm doing well in school and the Quidditch practices are going fantastic. I'm hundred per cent sure we're going to win the cup this year," Draco smirked. "After all we have the best Seeker of the school in our team now."

"So, Potter isn't having problems fitting in?" Snape asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"None at all. The only problems he has, are the Gryffindorks. Almost everyone from that House sides with the Weasel and the Know-It-All. They haven't done much outside glaring, but I suspect something will happen soon," Draco replied.

"What does Potter think about that?"

"He's upset, but that's understandable. He spends his time either with Blaise and I or with his godparents and with you. Although I have seen him speaking with Longbottom and Thomas. I'm surprised Longbottom has the guts to stand up against his House," Draco mused. Then he smirked again. "Anyway, I'm sure we can take Gryffindork a few notches down with the first Quidditch match."

Snape leaned back in his chair and smirked too. "Yes, I can't wait to see Minerva's face when her team loses. I never thought I would say this, but I'm glad we have Potter in our Quidditch team."

Draco chuckled.

An hour later, Draco decided it was time to head back to his dorms. "See you in class, Uncle Sev."

Snape nodded. "Tell Potter he has to come to my quarters at eight thirty for his Occlumency lesson."

"Will do," Draco smiled.

* * *

"Potter, what's the matter with you? Why aren't you using Occlumency?" Snape asked annoyed, lowering his wand. They were practicing for an hour and so far, Snape had easily broken down Harry's mind shield within a few minutes. "I know you can do better than this, so why aren't you trying? I won't have you wasting my time."

Harry fell into a nearby chair. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "I'm just… distracted. I'm sorry I have wasted your time; I'll go back to the dorms."

A wand against his chest stopped him.

"Why are you so distracted?" Snape inquired and lowered his wand when he saw that Harry wasn't leaving.

"It's stupid," Harry mumbled, a blush of shame colouring his cheeks.

"Probably," Snape agreed dryly. "But I still want to know."

"Can I ask you a question, sir?"

Snape nodded surprised.

"Can the Headmaster use Legilimency?"

"Yes, he's quite fluent in it. Why do you ask?"

"He sent me a note this morning," Harry muttered and gave Snape the note.

Snape opened the note; his black eyes flashed from one side of the note to the other side. When he was done reading, he calmly folded the parchment and gave it back to Harry. "Potter, do you suspect the Headmaster will use Legilimency on you?"

Harry began to fidget, not really sure if Snape was mad at him or not. "I don't know. It's possible, isn't it?"

"You're not as stupid as I thought. Maybe there is hope for you," Snape mused.

Harry's head shot up in surprise.

"Unfortunately you have to attend Albus' lesson less he gets suspicious, but I think it would be … prudent if one of your pets joined you," Snape said. "Now, do you think you can at least make an effort to shield your mind?"

Harry smiled weakly and nodded.

* * *

On the sixth of October, Harry was a wreck. He hadn't slept well and had worried all day long about what would happen in the lesson with Dumbledore. He had no Occlumency lesson this night, due to his lesson with the Headmaster, but Snape had assured him everything would be fine as long as he didn't look Dumbledore in the eye and when he had to, he just had to use Occlumency.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine," Draco reassured him and rubbed Harry's arm soothingly. "I'll wait for you in the common room."

"You don't have to. I don't know when I'll be back," Harry smiled weakly.

He and Draco were sitting in the common room in front of the fireplace. They had come to their common room as soon as they had finished their dinner. Well, as soon as Draco had finished his dinner, considering all Harry had done, was shoving his food all over his plate. Draco had urged him to eat, but had given up after several failed attempts.

"Don't care. I'll just wait until you show up," Draco replied in a final tone.

Harry just shook his head, but didn't have the energy to argue further. He casted a Tempus spell and saw that he had only five more minutes until his lesson started.

With a sigh, he stood up. "I guess I'll see you later, Draco."

Draco nodded. "Good luck," he said softly and he felt the invisible body of Ruby stroking his leg briefly when he followed his master. Garin was curled around Ruby's neck the last time Draco had seen him. Sapphire had apparently wanted to join her master too, judging by the loud meows she had produced, but it hadn't been possible to take her too, because she couldn't turn invisible. It looked like she was scowling now on Harry's previous occupied seat.

Draco sighed and grabbed his Arithmancy book. He might as well do something useful while waiting for his crush.

* * *

 _Just go in. Nothing will happen. What's the worst he can do anyway? Poisoning me with his lemon drops?_ , Harry snorted at that thought. Despite his pep talk, his hands still trembled when he knocked on the door of Dumbledore's office.

"Come in!" Dumbledore's voice called out.

Harry took a deep breath and opened the door. He felt Ruby slipping inside and wondered too late if Dumbledore would be able to see his pets. After all, he could see through invisibility cloaks. Shit. How would he explain the presence of Ruby and Garin? _Don't worry about the pets, professor, they're just here to make sure you behave?_ That would go over smoothly.

Harry closed the door behind him and glanced at Dumbledore's face to see if he had noticed the animals. There was no sign that Dumbledore knew about the animals' presence. Surely, if he had noticed them, he would have said something about them? Because the Headmaster didn't say anything about them, Harry figured he could relax a bit.

Meanwhile, Dumbledore felt as if he was being watched, but he shook that feeling off. The only ones in his office now were he, Harry and Felix. Nobody else. Maybe he should limit his conversations with Alastor; his paranoia was contagious.

He smiled gently. "Harry, my dear boy, take a seat, please."

Reluctantly, Harry took the seat in front of Dumbledore's desk. He looked around and saw that everything he had broken last year was repaired again.

"So, Harry, I heard that you had quite a few eventful weeks," Dumbledore began, his eyes only dimly twinkling.

Harry looked confused. "Eventful, sir?"

"Yes, I heard you ended your friendship with Mister Weasley and Miss Granger. I'm sorry to hear that. But Harry, why did you do that?" Dumbledore asked disappointed.

"We just… drifted apart. They still couldn't accept that Draco is now my friend too and I guess I just got tired of that." Harry shrugged, avoiding the Headmaster's gaze.

Dumbledore sighed. "Well, it is your choice, though I hope you reconcile with them eventually. It is a shame if your friendship of five years would end liked this because of Mister Malfoy."

Harry didn't reply.

"Now, on to the reason of this appointment. I would like to teach you Occlumency and Defence against the Dark Arts, so you will be better prepared to face Tom eventually. I think we will start with Occlumency tonight. What do you think of that, Harry?" Dumbledore smiled.

"Fine with me," Harry replied politely.

"Fantastic! Now unfortunately, before we start to practice, you will have to read the theory about it," Dumbledore said and placed a book in front of Harry who took it and began to read.

Basically, the book told him what Occlumency exactly was, where it came from and the instructions on how to accomplish it. The author advised him not to practice it on his own, because you couldn't be sure if you had succeeded or not.

"Have you finished reading?"

Harry nodded and closed the book.

"Excellent! Stand up, please and try to clear your mind," Dumbledore instructed.

Harry almost rolled his eyes; this was just a waste of his time. He already had covered this with Snape weeks ago. But because he didn't want to raise suspicion, he dutifully closed his eyes and cleared his mind.

"Good, now imagine that you are building a wall to protect your thoughts," he heard Dumbledore murmuring.

Quickly, he imagined his clear, bubble like shield and closed it around his thoughts. He may not be a fully skilled Occlumens, but he was confident his shield would last a quarter of an hour.

"Have you done that?"

Harry nodded again and hid his fists behind his back.

"All right. Harry, I want you to open your eyes and look at me. I will cast the Legilimency spell and try to enter your mind. Don't worry when your shield falls. It's our first lesson; you'll get better on it," Dumbledore reassured him smiling.

 _If only you knew, you old coot_ , Harry snorted inwardly.

"Legilimens," Dumbledore said and was prepared to take a good look at Harry's memories. He was immensely surprised when instead of entering the boy's thoughts; he was met with a wall that pushed him back into his own mind. What had just happened?

Dumbledore looked surprised. "Harry, that was a strong wall. I knew you're strong, but to succeed in having such a strong wall, it's marvellous. Unless … are you already practicing with someone else?" he asked, keeping his suspicion out of his voice.

Harry blinked surprised. "Practice? No sir, this is the first time I attempted to shield my thoughts since Snape kicked me out of his office. Guess I was lucky just now," he lied, keeping up his façade of surprise.

"Professor Snape, Harry," Dumbledore corrected him automatically. He smiled, even though he was still suspicious. "Well then, let's practice again."

For two hours, Dumbledore attempted to enter Harry's mind. A few times, Harry let him and showed an innocent memory like listening to Flitwick in class, as to not arouse any suspicion.

At ten p.m., Dumbledore called an end to the lesson, heavily frustrated that he hadn't been able to look at more important thoughts of the boy. He knew the boy must have had lessons before and he resolved himself to interrogate Snape about it. He was the only one in the school who knew both Legilimency as well as Occlumency, besides himself.

Dumbledore told Harry to rest for a bit on the chair while he ordered some tea. It was time to use the powder.

"Harry, did you receive any visions of Voldemort in the past few months?" he asked interested.

"No, not since he sent me that dream of the Ministry. I think he's keeping a low profile for now. Can't say I miss those visions." Harry shivered.

"Yes, I can understand that." Just like he had expected; the combination of the strong wards at the Black's house, combined with his new found skill in Occlumency had severely weakened the bond between the boy and Tom. That wouldn't do. He needed those visions to keep track of Tom's actions. Thankfully, he had prepared himself for this situation.

Dumbledore stood with his back to Harry and made use of that fact to quickly drop a pinch of the powder in Harry's cup and stirring the tea quickly before turning around to hand over the tea.

"Thank you," Harry mumbled and took a sip of the tea. He didn't want to drink it, but he didn't dare to refuse. Despite the heat, Harry managed to gulp it down in ten minutes. He stood up and placed his cup down.

"Thank you for the tea and the lesson, professor," Harry said politely.

Dumbledore chuckled. "Don't thank me, my dear boy. Get a good night rest; you earned it. I'll send you a note regarding our next meeting."

"Okay." Harry nodded and tapped discreetly on his pants, signalling to Ruby that he was leaving.

On the way to the dungeons, Harry started to get a headache. He groaned softly and rubbed his temples in an attempt to relieve the pain. It didn't have much effect and he cursed softly.

Draco perked up when he saw Harry entering the common room and sighed relieved. "Harry, how are you?" he asked softly and closed his Arithmancy book.

"I'm fine, except for a headache," Harry sighed.

"Do you need a potion?" Draco asked concerned.

Harry shook his head and groaned when that action made his headache worse. "No, I just need some sleep."

"All right, let's get some sleep," Draco said softly and together they walked to their dorm, slipping in their beds, but both failed to notice that Nott's bed was empty.

* * *

An hour later, Draco was woken up by a terrified scream. He shot up in bed and looked frantically around, trying to spot the source of the scream. His heart seemed to stop for a moment when he saw who screamed. It was Harry.

Harry was screaming his lungs out, his eyes shut tightly and his arms and legs were trashing wildly while his back arched unnaturally. It looked like he was having a seizure.

Immediately Draco jumped out of bed and was at Harry's side, trying to calm him down. He grabbed Harry's flaying arms and tried to wake him up. "Harry! HARRY! WAKE UP!"

It didn't work. If anything, Harry's thrashing got wilder and Draco had trouble with not getting hit.

"What the fuck is going on here?" Blaise asked wide eyed, looking freaked out.

"Got get Snape! Now, Blaise!" Draco snapped and narrowly avoided a foot to his hip.

Blaise scrambled out of bed and hurried out the room.

"Come on, Harry. Please, snap out of it!" Draco begged and ducked down to avoid a fist. His eyes widened when he saw Harry bringing his hands to his eyes, as if to scratch them out. Draco swore and grabbed Harry's hands, holding them down above his head. "Oh no, you don't! You're not ruining those beautiful eyes!" he growled and struggled to hold Harry down.

Draco was so focused on keeping Harry down that he did not see how Garin sunk his teeth in Harry's ankle or how Ruby bit in Harry's side. The two bites glowed for seven seconds and Ruby and Garin released their master. As soon as the glowing ended, Harry's thrashing was reduced to an occasional shudder.

Draco almost sobbed in relief and his head fell down on Harry's chest, listening to Harry's heartbeat that was calming down.

This was how Snape and Blaise found them.

* * *

A few minutes earlier…

Snape woke up to an incessant meowing. He frowned, grabbed his wand and opened the door to his quarters. He looked down and raised an eyebrow when he saw Potter's cat standing there.

"Go back to Potter," he growled.

Sapphire bared her teeth and pawed at his pants.

"Stop it, stupid cat," Snape hissed and tried to shake off the paws.

Sapphire growled and with one quick jump, she had Snape's wand in her mouth and she ran away with it.

"That bloody cat! How dare… Potter's going to pay for this!" Snape growled and hurried after the cat.

He walked briskly past Blaise, who opened his mouth and closed it again, confused, when he saw Snape walking to their dorm.

When Snape finally could catch his wand again, he saw the cat sitting on Potter's bed, dropping his wand on the sheets. He frowned when he saw his godson lying on Potter.

"Draco, why are you lying down on Potter?" Snape asked dryly and retrieved his wand, scowling at the cat.

Draco looked up relieved. "Thank Merlin, you're here. We all woke up, because Harry was screaming his lungs out and it looked like he had a seizure. I didn't know what to do."

Snape's frown deepened when he looked at the pale, sweaty face of Potter, who was still shuddering.

They were all startled when Harry shot up, yelling "NO!" He looked around frantically and immediately, Draco embraced the boy, pulling him to his chest, running his hands soothingly over Harry's back.

"Calm down, everything is all right. You're safe," Draco murmured in Harry's ear, his hot breath caressing Harry's ear and neck.

Harry took a shuddering breath and tried to calm down, burying his face in Draco's warm shoulder.

"Potter, can you tell me what you dreamt of?" Snape asked softly, gesturing to Blaise to leave the room.

"Blood. Everywhere blood." Harry shuddered again, bile rising up when he remembered the vision. Sapphire and Ruby cuddled against his back and Garin curled around his stomach. Harry took a deep breath and continued, "Voldemort is happy. He – he was in some sort of torture room and there were everywhere bodies. He – he and some others were torturing Muggles. He was having… fun. There were people whose neck was broken, some had – had lost limbs and by some persons were the – the heart or other intestines removed." Harry retched and vomited on the floor.

Snape vanished the vomit and Draco conjured a glass of water and helped Harry drink it.

"This isn't possible. You haven't had any visions since last year. You're now even using Occlumency. How is this possible?" Snape asked frustrated and sat down. "Unless… No, he wouldn't," he muttered. "Potter, did you eat or drink something when you were with the Headmaster?"

"Eh, he gave me tea," Harry answered, his throat raw and he winced.

"That damn fool!" Snape cursed and his eyes burned. "I need to take a sample of your blood, Potter."

"Do you think Dumbledore has slipped something in Harry's tea?" Draco asked angrily, tightening his arms around Harry. Harry's head fell onto Draco's shoulder and he was tired. He just wanted to go back to sleep and forget the horrible vision.

"I suspect it, yes. Hold out your arm, Potter," Snape ordered and took the blood sample. "I suggest you try to get some sleep," he added and disappeared from the room.

Draco looked down and smiled softly when he saw Harry sleeping. Oh well. He didn't want to move anyway. Carefully he shifted Harry and himself until they were underneath the sheets. He pulled Harry to his side and softly pressed his lips to Harry's forehead. "Sleep well, my little lion."

* * *

The next day, Snape told Sirius and Remus about Harry's vision and Dumbledore's possible involvement and he could barely restrain them from going to kill the Headmaster. Instead of getting revenge, they spent the whole day with their godson, trying to keep him distracted.

Draco was with them too and Remus was getting suspicious with how the Malfoy son acted around Harry. It almost looked like… No, that was a ridiculous thought. Remus shook his head and chuckled when he saw that Sirius had turned into Padfoot and was licking Harry's face.

* * *

Days later, Snape was cornered by Dumbledore and was asked if he had given Potter Occlumency lessons. Thanking his Occlumency skill, he could lie easily and managed to convince the Headmaster that no, he wasn't given lessons to the brat. Certainly not. He had better things to do with his time. Dumbledore was satisfied and walked away.

Meanwhile, Snape had discovered what Dumbledore had slipped into Potter's tea. The powder, imported from the Amazon forest, would open the mind of the person who had absorbed it and give free reign to visions. Seeing as Potter had a connection with the Dark Lord, his mind would be open to anything the Dark Lord would see or think. The powder was dangerous. If the dose was too strong, it would cause permanent damage to the brain and the heart. The dose in Harry's tea had been too strong. The only thing that had saved his health, was the other poison that Snape had detected in Potter's blood. He didn't know where the poison had come from and how it had ended up in Potter's blood, but it had neutralized the effects of the powder. Now, Snape was searching for an antidote so the boy wouldn't suffer too much and he had to figure out a way to keep Potter away from the Headmaster.

* * *

On the fourteenth of October, Sirius was called to Dumbledore's office. When he arrived there, he had to hold himself back form killing the old man. Somehow, someday, he would get his revenge.

"Ah, Sirius, my boy. I'm afraid I have a mission for you," Dumbledore said gravely.

"A mission?"

"Yes. I want you to go to Transylvania. You have to investigate the area there. I have received messages, claiming there is a source of Dark Magic. You have to search for the source and report back immediately if you find it," Dumbledore explained.

"What? No. Send some bloody Aurors to do it. It's their fucking job, for Merlin's sake! I can't leave Harry alone!" Sirius protested fiercely.

"Sirius, Harry is well protected. You don't need to worry about him. There will be two Aurors accompanying you, but we need your knowledge of Dark Magic."

"Hell no! I won't do it!"

"Mister Black, you will do as told. I would hate it if young Harry would be separated from you for a long time. He just got you back." Dumbledore's voice was cold.

Sirius gritted his teeth, but admitted defeat. For now. "Fine, when do I have to leave?"

"Tomorrow afternoon." _One obstacle less to worry about…_

* * *

That evening, Sirius had his arms full with a terrified Harry who was clinging to him.

"No, I don't want you to go!" Harry cried softly.

"Hey, don't cry. I promise I'll be back soon. You won't have time to miss me, pup," Sirius soothed him and hugged him tightly.

"But what if you die?"

"I'm not going to die. Do you really think I would leave you and Moony behind? Death won't have enough strength to keep me away from you. I swear I'll be back." Sirius began to rock Harry; lulling him to sleep.

The last thing that Harry thought before sleep claimed him was ' _I hope he comes back. I don't want to lose him again…'_

The next day Sirius was pulled separate by Remus.

"Don't you dare to die, Black! I can't have you leaving me too! If you dare to die, I will drag you back from the death and beat the crap out of you!" Remus hissed.

"I won't die, I swear. I'll come back, Moony," Sirius whispered and hugged the other man. "Take care of our cub, all right?"

Remus nodded and watched Sirius walking away. The upcoming days would be hard.

* * *

Over the next couple of days, Harry couldn't be persuaded to eat much. He had retreated in himself and was constantly worried that something would happen to Sirius. Draco could do nothing but watch helplessly how his crush was getting more and more depressed as each day went by without any news from Sirius.

Then, on the night of the twentieth – third of October, Sirius returned. Sadly, it wasn't a happy reunion. One of the Aurors had brought him. Sirius had been caught by a Dark wizard and was tortured. He had four broken ribs, of which one had punctured his lung; his right leg and left arm where broken in different places; huge gashes, of which blood was dripping off, were littered over his chest and back and he had a huge wound on his head. He had lost a lot of blood and had fallen into a coma.

Harry and Remus had rushed immediately to the Hospital wing when they had heard what happened and were shocked by what they saw. Remus' legs trembled and he sank down on a chair; Harry kept standing. He was in too much shock to function properly.

"How bad is it?" Remus whispered, tears leaking out the corners of his eyes. "Will he wake up?"

Pomfrey looked at them sadly. "I honestly don't know. Right now, I'm not even sure if he'll survive the night. There is a lot of damage. I'm sorry; I'll do what I can."


	19. An interesting Halloween

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: bit of angst; bad Dumbledore and kissing
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 19: An interesting Halloween**

Harry thought that this was the worst time of his life. Not even the years with the Dursleys could compare to this. It had been two days since Sirius had been brought back to the infirmary. He was still alive, but barely and Pomfrey couldn't tell if he ever would wake up from his coma or not.

Harry had never been so afraid in his life as now. He hadn't even been that scared last year in the Ministry; of course, his body had been working on adrenaline, so it had held the shock off. He was so scared that Sirius would die, that he would leave Harry too, just like his parents. And if Sirius died, he would lose Remus too. Not that Remus would kill himself, but he probably would leave. After all, if he lost Sirius, then Remus wouldn't have any best friends left. Harry doubted he would be enough to keep the man with him. He would be all alone again.

Today, he had followed his classes again. Harry had skipped his classes yesterday, because he had been too much in shock. He had sat all day in the infirmary, next to Sirius' bed, staring at nothing. He hadn't reacted when Draco and Blaise had tried to make him go with them to take his mind of the accident for a few moments, but had been furious when Dumbledore had tried to remove him. Dumbledore had only stopped trying when the windows began to shatter and a whirlwind had appeared, right in the middle of the hospital. Harry had only calmed down when his pets had cuddled him.

Ruby, Sapphire and Garin were all worried about their master. They hated to see him so upset. But what could they do? They could harm the old man, who was responsible for their master's suffering, but that would require leaving their master alone, defenseless. They couldn't risk that. So, instead, they tried to offer their master their support, letting him know that he wasn't alone.

It hadn't mattered that Harry had followed his classes; he had just sat there, staring blankly in front of him, counting down the hours until he could go back to the hospital wing. Every two hours, Remus would come as well to see how Sirius was – and how Harry was doing. Harry didn't notice it, because he had retreated in himself again due to shock, but everyone was very worried. Harry hadn't once cried or had been angry when he heard the news. He just sat there, next to Sirius with a blank look on his face. It scared Remus to see his cub like that. Nobody had managed to get a reaction from Harry; after the disastrous visit of the Headmaster, it was as if Harry had shut down. He didn't respond to anyone; even Draco hadn't managed to do something. The blond Slytherin spent most of his time with Harry, talking to him or just generally sitting next to him. Even Blaise had tried to coax Harry to react again. It hadn't worked.

It was now seven p.m. Dinnertime. Remus went to the hospital wing and as suspected, Harry was sitting in the chair next to Sirius. Remus looked at Sirius; he was in exactly the same position as he was left two days ago. Still no signs of improvement. Oh, his wounds were all healed , though his broken bones had taken a while to heal due to the severity of the breaks, but Sirius was simply not waking up from his coma. Pomfrey hadn't been able to tell if he would wake up soon or if he would be in a coma for years.

Remus sat down in the chair next to Harry's. "Harry, are you hungry?"

The boy shook his head, not looking up.

"How are you now?" Remus cringed a bit at how insensitive it sounded, but how on earth was he supposed to phrase that question properly?

Harry shrugged, still not answering.

Remus sighed and rubbed his face tiredly. What was he supposed to do with Harry? If he was angry, Remus could have listened to his rant and then soothe him; if he cried, Remus could comfort him. He knew how to handle those things, but he couldn't handle Harry's reaction. Was Harry immensely upset or furious inside? Remus didn't understand why Harry didn't show his feelings. Harry had never had problems showing his emotions; his destruction of Dumbledore's office last year when he was furious at the Headmaster proved that.

"Harry, cub, why don't we…" Remus started to suggest, but was interrupted when the door to the infirmary opened.

"Honestly, Ron, Hermione told you not to taunt Crookshanks. It's your own damn fault," Seamus laughed.

Sapphire and Ruby rose to their feet, their whole body tense.

"How was I supposed to know that bloody cat would react that badly? Merlin, this stings!" Ron complained.

When they reached Sirius' bed, Remus could see that Ron's hand was scratched badly. The gash was long and blood was welling up. Hermione's cat had been very annoyed apparently.

"I'll get Pomfrey," Seamus chuckled and without looking at Sirius' bed, he walked to Pomfrey's office.

Unfortunately, Ron did take notice of them and a light sneer appeared on his face. "So Black is here. I thought he was on a mission or something?"

Remus raised an eyebrow at the use of Sirius' last name. As Harry's family, they had gotten on Ron's bad side too, it seemed. "Yes, Sirius was on a mission. He has just returned."

Ron snorted. "Yeah, but not healthy apparently. What has happened now?"

"That's not your concern," Remus replied calmly.

Ron glared at him, but shifted his attention to Harry, who had not looked up once the whole time Ron was there.

"What's wrong with you? Cat got your tongue?" Ron sneered, taking in the pale appearance of Harry.

Harry didn't answer nor did he look up.

"Are you deaf?"

"Leave him alone," Remus said, but his eyes held a warning.

"What? Does he need you to speak for him? Surrounded by Slytherins has made him even more pathetic, I see," Ron sneered, malice clearly ringing through his voice.

"Forty points from Gryffindor," Remus replied. "I suggest you leave us alone now."

Ron glared. "Fine, but you can't protect him forever, professor." He nearly spat out the word 'professor'.

"Mister Weasley, what seems to be the problem?" Pomfrey came bustling in, pursing her lips when she saw the scratch. She gave him some healing balm and sent the boys away. Then she turned towards them and her face softened a bit.

"I'm sorry, but you have to leave for tonight. Visitor hours are over," she said softly. "If he wakes up tonight, I'll call you immediately."

"All right. Come on, Harry, I'll bring you back to your dorm," Remus said softly and stood up.

Harry stood up too and together with Remus, he walked to the dungeons.

"Try to have a good night rest and … stay out of trouble, okay?" Remus said softly, his amber coloured eyes showing his concern.

Harry nodded and slipped inside the common room.

Remus sighed and made his way to his rooms. Tiredly, he changed into some pyjamas (not realizing they were of Sirius. Because Sirius frequently stayed the night, there were a lot of clothes of him lying around) and collapsed into his bed, sleep catching him quickly.

* * *

The next day, it was Friday and it went pretty much the same as the day before, except that Ron had tried to curse Harry when he walked to Transfiguration. Unfortunately for him, a few Slytherins were quicker and had cursed back, leaving Ron with huge, painful, festering swellings. McGonagall had been furious and had given the Slytherins detention and took fifty points away. Despite the pain, Ron had been snickering – that is until McGonagall took fifty points from Gryffindor and gave him detention too. Ron had raged about the unfairness of it, but it just resulted in more points taken off from Gryffindor.

This incident just convinced Draco more that he shouldn't leave Harry out of his sight. He now even went as far as accompanying Harry to his Occlumency lesson that evening.

"I'll see you back in two hours, okay?" Draco said softly and with his hands on Harry's thin shoulders.

Harry nodded absently and after he had knocked, he walked into Snape's quarters.

Reluctantly, Draco made his way back to the Slytherin common room. Even he realized it would be a bit too much if he stayed there for two hours.

Blaise looked up from his book when Draco entered the dorms. "Merlin, you managed to just leave him there instead of waiting there? I'm impressed."

"Shut up," Draco growled, falling on his bed.

Blaise closed his book and his smirk disappeared. "No, seriously, Draco, don't you see you're a little bit … I don't know – overprotective? Obsessed? Possessive?"

"I'm not overprotective, nor obsessed or possessive!" Draco protested. "Where do you get those nonsense, idiot?"

"Oh, please, Draco," Blaise snorted. "You won't leave Harry out of your sight. Just now, you brought him to Snape's quarters and my guess is you're going to pick him up later as well. When he's talking to Longbottom or Loony, you're watching him like a hawk. It even creeps me out and that's saying something. You even accompany him when he visits his godfather! It's okay you want to protect him and be with him, considering you're friends now, but Draco, you're pushing it! I'm surprised Harry hasn't yelled at you yet. You have to give him some space, Drake," Blaise sighed and pushed a strand of his hair behind his ear. "Harry's a big boy. He can protect himself if someone attacks him."

"I know that," Draco mumbled, not looking in Blaise's eyes.

"Can you at least tell me why you're so obsessed with Harry? It's almost as if you're in love with him or something like that and you don't want Harry's attention directed at anyone but you," Blaise joked, chuckling.

Draco bit on his lip and a light blush coloured his cheeks.

Blaise stopped chuckling as soon as he saw that. "Draco, is it true? Are you in love with Harry?" he asked incredulously.

"What does it matter to you if I'm in love with Harry or not?" Draco muttered.

"It doesn't really matter to me, but it certainly explains why you act like you do."

Silence reigned for a few minutes.

"When are you going to tell him? Or ask him out?"

Draco stared at him. "So you're not grossed out by the fact that I'm gay and I want Harry?"

"I would be a hypocrite to be grossed out, considering I'm bisexual and I admit Harry's hot. Especially without those glasses," Blaise grinned. "I'd say, go for it."

_That's easier said than done_ , Draco thought with a sigh. _I don't even know if he swings that way._

* * *

Snape frowned when he saw another dream of Potter in which he lost his family. Potter had been trying to keep him out of his mind and he had succeeded a few times, but Snape still managed to view some memories.

With a sigh, he lowered his wand. "Why are you so afraid of losing your family? The mutt will wake up soon, I'm sure of that. So why are you afraid?"

Potter didn't answer and his eyes were locked onto the ground.

Snape studied him. The boy before him was very pale, had bags underneath his eyes and looked as thin as they had found him in the beginning of last summer. He understood now the worries of his godson and the wolf.

He noticed how Potter started to tremble and the grip on his wand tightened. Snape briefly pinched his nose; he really wasn't suited for this, but if it helped Potter gain some normality back and if this would soothe his godson's worries, then so be it. He only hoped that James Potter wasn't watching down on them.

"Potter, it's okay to let go. It's unhealthy to rein your emotions in all the time. The mutt will have an attack if he heard that you bottled everything up," Snape spoke gently, placing his wand in his pocket.

Potter shook his head, but his shoulders were shaking.

"Come on, Harry, it's no shame to show your emotions every once in a while. You need to let it go," Snape said and hesitatingly placed his hand on Harry's shoulder, frowning when he felt how thin the boy was.

His words – or was it the touch? – did the trick. As if a wall had crumbled down, Potter started to cry. His whole body shook with the sobs he produced and with a sigh, Snape led him towards the couch. After hesitating, Snape embraced Potter and awkwardly patted him on his back.

He really wasn't suited for this.

"Can you tell me why you're so afraid?"

"It's – it's my fault Sirius is hurt," Potter hiccupped, fisting the robes in front of him.

"Why do you think that?"

"If I – I hadn't been born or – or if I defeated Vol – Voldemort immediately, Si – Sirius wouldn't ha – have been sent on – on that mission," Potter cried, his words falling out his mouth like a waterfall.

"Potter, none of this was your fault. Nobody regrets your birth and nobody expects you to defeat the Dark Lord immediately. If someone is to blame, then you have to blame the Dark Lord and the Headmaster, but you're certainly not to blame. For Merlin's sake, you're just sixteen, Potter. You're a mere child," Snape replied frustrated. Maybe it was about time they had to discuss Potter's issues.

"But wha – what if he dies? Remus won't – won't forgive me an – and leave too. I – I don't want to lose them," Potter trembled, but his sobs were slowing down.

Snape grabbed his shoulders and pushed him a bit backwards, so he could look Potter in his eyes. "Potter, listen carefully, because I will not repeat myself; Black is an annoying idiot who'll even come back from the death to be with you and to annoy the hell out of me. The mutt will be fine. As for the werewolf – where were you when I taught you about werewolves? The wolf inside Lupin sees you as his cub; you're a member of his pack. He wouldn't be able to leave you and he won't. Do you understand?"

Potter nodded, trembling.

Snape gave him a handkerchief and sent a message to Lupin. He was the boy's family after all.

To Snape's astonishment, he found Potter sleeping on his couch. With another sigh, he placed the Calming Draught on his desk. Thank Merlin he had called Lupin to come here, otherwise he would had to bring Potter back to his dorms on his own. He had already tarnished his reputation enough for tonight. No need to destroy it entirely.

A knock on the door woke him from his thoughts. With a flick of his wand, Snape opened the door to reveal Remus Lupin.

"I got your message. What's wrong?" Remus asked curiously and stepped into the room.

"Your godson finally decided to confess what bothered him and cried himself to sleep. Be so kind as to take him back to his dorms," Snape answered.

In a flash, Remus stood by Harry and kneeled down. He stroked Harry's hair back and saw the red rimmed, closed eyes of his cub.

"What was bothering him?" Remus asked concerned.

Snape turned his eyes upwards. "If I tell you, will you then leave?"

"And I was just enjoying your company." Remus rolled his eyes.

Snape scowled at him. "He believed it was his fault that your precious mutt was hurt and he's afraid that if Black dies, you leave him too."

Remus looked perplexed. "Why would he think such things?"

In response, Snape only raised an eyebrow. Both knew it was the Dursleys' fault.

Remus sighed and carefully picked Harry up, frowning when he felt how light Harry was. "Thank you for helping Harry," he said with difficulty.

"I only did it to relieve Draco's worries," Snape replied stiffly.

Remus smiled. "Of course. Good night, Severus."

Snape nodded in reply and closed the door behind Lupin.

* * *

He had just finished marking the last paper of a fourth year Ravenclaw, when a knock disturbed the silence. With a growl he stood up and opened the door. He sighed. "What do you want, brat?"

Draco glared. "I'm here to pick up Harry, because his lesson is done."

Snape raised an eyebrow. If he heard correctly, this would mean that Lupin hadn't brought Potter back to the dorms. The sentimental idiot probably had taken Potter to his quarters to have a family bonding moment in the morning. Bloody Gryffindors.

"He isn't here. He told me what had bothered him for the last couple of days, cried himself to sleep and I had Lupin picking him up. I guess he brought Potter to his quarters to talk to him in the morning," Snape answered, crossing his arms.

"What was it that bothered Harry?" Draco asked quickly.

"You have to ask him," Snape simply answered.

Draco scowled at him and turned around to go to Lupin's quarters, so he could talk to Harry.

Snape grabbed his shoulder. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I want to speak with Harry," Draco replied.

"No, you won't. This is something between Lupin and Potter. You can talk to him tomorrow, but for now you will leave him alone. Go back to your dorms, Draco," Snape said and his eyes warned Draco there would be consequences if he disobeyed.

"Fine," Draco muttered and angrily made his way back to his dorms.

Snape watched him going. He really should talk with Lucius about Draco's obsessive behaviour with Potter.

* * *

On Sunday night, Garin decided it was enough. True, his master was doing better; after his talk with the dark man and the one who smelled like a wolf, his master wasn't as depressed as before and he ate and talked more. The blond boy had been especially happy about that.

Garin didn't know whether it would work, but it had helped his master when he had been poisoned, so there was a chance.

Garin waited until his master had gone to sleep and then slithered out of the dungeon to the infirmary. It was a long way and he would have been faster if the lion brought him, but the lion and the cat were needed to protect their master.

Eventually, Garin reached the hospital wing. Luckily, someone had left the door open and Garin made his way to the bed where the godfather of his master laid. He halted when he heard the voice of the man who smelled like a wolf.

"God damn it, Sirius! When will you finally wake up? You promised everything would be fine. You swore you would be okay!" Remus hissed and his hand clamped down on one of Sirius' hands. "Don't you understand how much we miss you? How much I miss you? You can't leave me alone! Wake up, you stupid dog!" A few tears fell down on the sheets.

Carefully, Garin slipped underneath the sheets and searched for a vein in the man's leg. He found one and sunk his teeth in the flesh. He wouldn't leave a mark like he did to his master, because he was already bonded to his master; his poison slowly make his way into the blood stream and Garin released the ankle. He had done all he could; it was time to go back to his master.

Remus never saw the snake disappearing.

He sighed and wiped his tears away. It was late, he should go back to his quarters. He turned around to leave, but froze when he heard the voice he had missed so much the past few weeks. "I really thought heaven would be much brighter."

Remus turned around quickly and his mouth dropped open when he saw Sirius awake and sitting up. "Sirius?" he whispered, wondering if he was hallucinating.

Sirius looked at him and grinned. "So I'm not dead? That's good, because being dead would suck. How long was I out, Moony?"

"Five days," Remus answered dazed, still not completely understanding what was happening.

"You can fill me in on the details later. Now are you going to hug me? Or do I have to drag you?" Sirius asked happily and opened his arms.

Remus grinned and hurried to Sirius, diving into his arms. They hugged and without thinking, only acting on his long suppressed feelings, Remus pressed his lips against Sirius', finally tasting him after all those years. When Sirius didn't react after a few seconds, Remus got a sinking feeling and he pulled back.

"I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have done this. I just thought you… Never mind; forget about this," Remus babbled and scrambled back, trying to hide his pain at the rejection. He knew he shouldn't have done this. Why did he have to be so stupid? Sirius would be disgusted by him and wouldn't want to be friends with him anymore. What had he been thinking? Sirius would never go for a pathetic monster like him. He should have been content with their friendship, but no, he had wanted more. He had ruined everything now.

Two arms pulled him back and Remus fell down on Sirius' warm body. A hand pulled his chin up so he looked Sirius in his blue grey eyes. "You really should stop rambling so much, Moony. It ruins the moment," Sirius whispered and pressed his mouth against Remus' again. Remus smiled in the kiss and kissed eagerly back. Shyly, Remus opened his mouth when Sirius' tongue swept over his lower lip. Their tongues met and Remus was grateful that he was lying down, because his legs were trembling from the intensity of their kiss.

Eventually their need to breath broke them apart; both were breathing heavily.

Sirius shifted so Remus was lying next to him in his arms. "That is what I call a fantastic welcome back. Now care to tell me what happened when I was out?"

* * *

Draco woke up the next morning, because he felt his bed moving which in turn caused him to move. Blearily he opened his eyes to see Harry jumping up and down, obviously excited.

Somehow Draco managed to grab Harry's waist to stop him, but Harry fell on top of him with an oomph. He kept grinning though.

"What has you grinning like an idiot, Potter?" Draco mumbled, clearly not a morning person. Even with his crush currently on top of him.

"It's unbelievable! I got a note from Moony earlier, saying Sirius is awake! Can you believe it? Sirius is out of his coma!" Harry laughed and then scrambled of the bed. "I'm going to visit him now! See you later, Dray!"

Draco blinked and decided to take a shower before joining Harry. He hoped Harry wouldn't be this active every morning. He wasn't sure if his hormones would survive that.

* * *

With a snarl, Dumbledore threw his documents on the floor. How was this possible? He had planned everything perfectly. The curse he had placed on Black had been slowly draining the life from him. He should have died last night! Instead, he received a note from Pomfrey stating that Black had woken up this morning, healthy and without any lasting problems. How could this have happened?

Breathing heavily, Dumbledore stared out of his window. He would have to find another way to remove Black from Potter's life. He would get his way, one way or another.

* * *

Because Halloween was on Wednesday, the students had gotten a long weekend. There would be a Halloween party, starting at eight p.m., but most Slytherins had decided to have a party in their dorms. Over the past few weeks, there had been numerous fights between Gryffindors and Slytherins and there had been even fights between Slytherins and Ravenclaws. They just wanted to have a quiet night without any fights.

That morning, Harry and Draco were visiting Remus and Sirius, who were now officially living together. They had been nervous when they told Harry they were now a couple, but Harry had soothed their worries. The only thing that mattered to him was that his godparents were happy.

"Say, Harry, do you have a costume for tonight?" Sirius suddenly asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Harry eyed him warily. "No. Why?"

"Harry didn't want to buy one," Draco pouted.

"What is your costume, Draco?" Remus asked curiously from his place on Sirius' lap.

"A prince of course," Draco grinned.

Harry rolled his eyes while Remus chuckled.

"Well, I bought you a costume, pup and you would make this old man happy if you wore it," Sirius pouted and gave Harry a package.

With dread, Harry opened the box and immediately closed it again before Draco could take a look.

Harry went red. "Oh hell no! I'm not wearing that!" he protested.

"But Harry! You would look so adorable in it!" Sirius whined and gave his godson puppy eyes.

"I'm a sixteen year old boy, Padfoot! I don't want to be adorable and I'm not a freaking girl either! What were you thinking?" Harry snapped.

"It can't be that bad, cub," Remus soothed.

Harry raised an eyebrow and let Remus take a look.

"All right, it's bad," Remus agreed and promptly whacked Sirius on his head. "What were you thinking, Sirius? Do you want to get your godson raped?"

If it was even possible, Harry got redder and he spluttered.

Draco looked incredulously. Raped? How bad was that costume?

Sirius pouted and rubbed the sore spot on his head. "Come on, Moony. Harry won't get raped. He can defend himself and Draco is glued to his side. Nothing bad will happen." Then he turned towards Harry. "Please, Harry, please wear it. You would look good in it. You can burn it afterwards if you want."

"If I get beaten into a bloody pulp because of it, I'm going to beat the hell out of you in return, Padfoot," Harry sighed.

Sirius beamed. Victory.

* * *

Draco's eyes almost popped out of their sockets when he saw Harry in his costume. Harry was dressed as a black cat. He wore a long sleeved, black shirt, black pants with a tail on it and pair of cat's ears was visible in his hair. The tips of the ears were white. He even had whiskers on his face.

_It should be illegal to look so hot_ , Draco thought and his eyes roamed over Harry's body and he masked a moan.

Harry's face reddened underneath Draco' gaze and he distracted himself with studying Draco's costume. Draco was dressed like a traditional prince, all in white. He wore a cape too and even had a sword fastened on his belt. Draco looked… handsome. Harry blushed more at that thought.

"Be honest - how ridiculous do I look?" Harry asked, breaking the silence.

"You don't look ridiculous. You look good in it. Hot even," Draco breathed, before flushing lightly.

Harry cleared his throat. "Thanks. You look good too. It suits you."

"Damn Potter, you look hot," Blaise whistled and entered the room. He was dressed like a vampire, teeth and all.

Draco rolled his eyes and huffed. "Stop drooling, Zabini."

"What are we going to do?" Harry asked, shifting the attention off of him.

Blaise grinned. "Something we do each year on Halloween - Truth or Dare."

Harry didn't get a good feeling at seeing Blaise's grin.

* * *

They were with fifteen, all gathered in their dorm, sitting in a circle. So far, most of them had choosing truth, though, afterwards, most wished they hadn't heard the truth from some persons.

"Blaise, truth or dare?" Draco asked.

"Dare. I'm not scared," Blaise grinned.

Draco smirked. "I dare you to go in your underwear to Snape's quarters and tell Snape you always fantasize that he spanks you, because you were a bad boy."

The whole group laughed at seeing Blaise's disgusted face. "You have a sick twisted mind, Malfoy," he growled, but stepped out of his clothes. The whole group waited behind a corner while Blaise knocked.

Snape raised an eyebrow when he saw the state Blaise was in.

"Good evening, sir. I'm sorry to disturb you, but you see, I always fantasize during the night that you spank me, because I have been naughty. Think you can help me out? Because I've been a bad boy," Blaise said, biting on his lip.

"Mister Zabini, if you don't disappear this instant, you will get something much worse than a spanking. Oh and detention with Professor McGonagall Monday evening at eight p.m. And get some clothes," Snape replied calmly before shutting the door.

The whole group lay double from laughter when they were back in the dorms.

"Classic, Blaise," Draco grinned.

"Go to hell, Malfoy. Harry, truth or dare?" Blaise asked annoyed.

Harry smiled. "Dare."

A malicious glint appeared in Blaise's eyes and Draco got wary.

"I dare you to kiss Draco on the mouth with tongue and you have to sit on his lap for the entire night," Blaise said grinning.

Draco cursed inwardly. That son of a bitch! He chose that dare on purpose! He would kill him – after thanking him for giving him the chance to kiss Harry.

"Fine, but I will get you back for this, Zabini," Harry growled and stood up. He walked to Draco and sat on his lap. He curled his arms around Draco's neck and felt Draco curling his arms around his waist in return. For one moment, they looked each other in the eyes. Harry saw something stirring in the depths of Draco's grey eyes; something he recognized, but couldn't name.

Harry bent his head to Draco's and closed his eyes when he awkwardly pressed his lips against Draco's. This was only his second kiss (the first being with Cho) and he didn't know how to kiss correctly. Luckily for him, Draco knew what to do. He pressed Harry closer to his body and deepened the kiss; his lips hungrily sucking on Harry's lower lip, his tongue begging for entrance. Harry gasped and Draco slid his tongue inside the moist cavern, searching for Harry's tongue and engaging it in a heated battle.

Harry was losing himself in the sensations. Merlin but Draco was one hell of a kisser! He tasted like peppermint and peaches and Harry couldn't get enough of him. He whimpered when Draco's tongue roamed in his mouth and he buried his hands in Draco's soft hair, marveling at the silk texture of it.

Draco was in heaven. Here he was, kissing Harry with the boy sitting on his lap. The best of it was that Harry was clearly enjoying it too, if he had to go by the whimpers the boy was producing.

Eventually their lungs screamed for air and they broke apart; both flushed and breathing heavily.

Blaise cleared his throat. "Well, eh, who's next?"

Harry turned around on Draco's lap, so that he was sitting with his back against Draco's chest.

He had enjoyed the kiss. Too much even. What did this mean for him?

* * *

The rest of the evening, there was only one thing Harry could think of - his kiss with Draco. The most amazing kiss he had ever had.


	20. First Quidditch match

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: little bit of Quidditch violence; some foul language and a confused Harry
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it
> 
> Another remark: for the picture of the runes, it's best if you search it up on the internet or in a book. I don't know whether I described them correctly ^^;
> 
> Second remark: The idea of the character in the last scene comes originally from Janara (on fanfiction with her fic Not your usual Veela mate); I asked her permission to use it and she agreed to it ^^

**Chapter 20: First Quidditch match**

Confused. That was the best way to describe what Harry felt when he woke up on Thursday morning.

It was the day after the Halloween party. After Harry's dare, he hadn't risked playing further, afraid of what others would come up with. Like instructed, he had sat the entire night on Draco's lap with the blond boy's arms around his waist. It had felt rather intimate, something only couples or parents with their children would do.

The worst thing was that Harry had enjoyed both the kiss and the sitting on the lap. That wasn't normal, right? To enjoy kissing a boy and sitting on his lap? What should he do now? Should he talk about it with Draco or should he just forget about it? It wasn't as if it meant something, right? It was only a dare. He should just forget about it.

It only it was that easy. Harry still remembered the soft lips of Draco moving against his, his tongue battling with his, the arms around his waist, his hands buried in Draco's hair, Draco's smell, his taste… He blushed heavily when he remembered his whimpers and felt like he would die of shame. He prayed nobody had heard his whimpers.

_Alright, just try to forget about it. Try to forget how wonderful it felt, how fantastic the kiss was, how… All right, stop thinking about it_ , Harry ordered himself sternly. He sighed and raked a hand through his hair. He casted a Tempus spell - six thirty. Too early to be awake on a lesson free day, but he didn't think he could fall asleep again. Besides confused, he was now restless too. He needed to get out of bed; maybe he would visit Hedwig. It had been a long time since he last had visited his owl.

Sapphire mewled softly when Harry slipped out of bed. Ruby opened his eyes and peered at Harry – he was only visible in Harry's bed.

Harry scratched them both behind their ears. "Sssh, you can go back to sleep. I'm going to take a shower," he whispered, as to not wake up the other boys.

Sapphire stretched and curled up again, closing her eyes and yawning, showing her little, sharp, white teeth.

Silently, Harry made his way into the bathroom. He slipped off his clothes and stepped into the shower. He sighed when the warm water touched his back.

After ten minutes, he stepped out the shower and grabbed a towel. He wiped the fog of the mirror and proceeded to dry himself. However, he stopped when he saw something in his right side. Harry furrowed his eyebrows when he noticed that it had a particular design. It almost looked like a … mark. It was dark red and as far as Harry could tell, it looked like a rune. He didn't know what the rune meant, but the most important thing now was, why did he have this mark on his body? Since when? What did this mean? Did he have other marks? He looked over his body and discovered another rune shaped mark on his left ankle. This one was light green, almost silver.

_This is just great_ , Harry thought miserably. _Uncle Vernon was right: I am a freak!_

What should he do now? He decided to go to Remus. Maybe he could help him.

Harry dressed quickly and left the bathroom. As if on cue, three pairs of eyes shot open and Sapphire and Ruby padded towards Harry, Garin curled up on Ruby's back.

"You don't have to accompany me. You can sleep for a while more," Harry whispered to the animals.

Ruby and Sapphire looked at him pointedly, as if to say 'Are you stupid?'. Harry sighed, but smiled and after glancing at the other boys, who were still fast asleep, he left the room and made his way out of the dungeons, to the Owelry. He would first visit Hedwig and then go to Remus.

Harry smiled when Hedwig flew over to him, landing on his stretched out arm.

"Hey there girl. How are you?" Harry asked and stroked the white feathers on her belly.

Hedwig nipped his ear lovingly, enjoying the stroking she received.

Harry stroked his owl for a while, until he decided that it was time to go before Sapphire attacked the little owl of Ron. She was looking a bit too hungry at it for Harry's liking.

A quick Tempus spell told him it was seven thirty. Still early, but Harry was certain Remus would be up.

He said the password and walked into the living room. And immediately turned around, while a thump and a few curses could be heard from the couch.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt you!" Harry apologized fiercely with a fire red face. He had just caught his godparents naked while they were about to do it. This was as worse as seeing your parents do it. Not that he had caught his parents doing it, considering they died when he was only one years old, but still.

Sirius sat up from his position on the floor, groaning. Remus looked apologetically at him from the couch; he had pushed Sirius off of him when Harry had entered the room. He grabbed his trousers and pulled them back on. Well, that would teach them not to do it again on the couch in the future.

Sirius sighed and zipped up his pants. This was just great; their godson had walked in on them while they were about to have sex. Talk about a mood killer.

Remus waited until they both had their clothes back on and they were decent again before saying, "You can look again, Harry."

"Are you decent?" Harry asked, embarrassment ringing through his voice.

"No, I'm about to suck Remus' …" Remus clamped his hand on Sirius' mouth, effectively shutting him up.

"Don't listen to him, cub, you can look," Remus assured him, blushing.

Hesitantly, Harry turned around, still with a red face. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to – to… Merlin, this is embarrassing," he groaned with his hands on his face.

Sirius snickered. "Get used to it, pup. We still have the kitchen to explore."

Remus smacked his arm.

Harry looked pale. "Too much information."

"Anyway, was there something you needed, cub?" Remus asked, glancing at the clock. "It's still early."

Awkwardly, Harry sat down on a chair and Sapphire jumped on his lap while Ruby laid his head on Harry's knees. "I have to … ask you something," he began hesitatingly.

"All right, ask away," Remus smiled.

"Eh, well, you see, when I was in the shower, I noticed something strange," Harry replied, stroking Sapphire's back. "I know this will sound weird, but I have two marks on my body that, I swear, look like some kind of runes. I was wondering if you know what they are and why they are on my body and why."

Nobody noticed how both Ruby and Garin seemed to tense at the mention of the marks.

Both Remus and Sirius frowned and looked concerned.

"Can you show them, please, Harry?" Remus asked, his amber coloured eyes sharp.

Harry placed Sapphire on the chair and stood up. Biting his lip, he shoved his sweater up to reveal the mark on his side.

It looked like an 's', but with sharp curves instead of round ones.

Remus nodded slowly, not aware of two pairs of red and purple eyes watching him. "Yes, that's definitely a rune. Wait here, I get my book to search for the meaning of it." Hastily he made his way into their study room.

"How long do you have these marks, Harry?" Sirius asked, for once not joking.

Harry shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. I just noticed them today."

"Here we are," Remus muttered. He browsed through the book while making his way to the couch. He sat down and his eyes scanned the page quickly. "Aha! I found it! It's called Eihwaz and it stands for protection, magical authorization and psychic protection – to name a few qualities." He looked up at Harry. "Can I see your other mark?"

Harry nodded dumbfounded and rolled up his pants to show the mark on his ankle. This one looked like a 'p', but again with sharp curves instead of round ones.

Remus nodded again and browsed through his book. His eyes lit up when he found the right rune. "This one is known as Thurisaz and his main quality is protection."

"That's all good, but why are they on Harry? And how?" Sirius asked, getting frustrated because of this mystery.

Remus sighed and closed the book while looking pensively at the rune of Harry's ankle. "I honestly don't know, Padfoot. I have no idea where they came from. As far as I know there aren't any spells, potions, curses or hexes that causes a mark, shaped like rune, on your body," he replied. "I'd say they protect Harry, but against what and who was responsible for it, I have no idea."

"Are there no other ways to discover the answer?" Sirius asked, leaning back.

"There are some books concerning runes and the ways they are used," Remus said slowly. "But those are rare books. Even the library of Hogwarts doesn't have them. My best guess is you may find them in the library of a very rich wizard – probably a Pureblood too."

"We know a very rich Pureblood," Sirius said nonchalantly.

"Oh?" Harry frowned, sitting down again.

"Yes, Lucius Malfoy. Can you ask Draco to write a letter to his father with the request of the book?" Sirius asked, enthusiasm creeping in his voice.

Harry's response was quick and short. "No!"

Sirius was surprised. "Why not? Maybe he could help us."

Harry shook his head. "No! If I ask Draco to ask his father about the book, he will want to know why we want that book."

"And? I don't see the problem, cub," Remus said confused.

"If Draco knows about the marks, he will begin to worry and be even more protective! I don't want that!" Harry replied stubbornly. "Can't we get that book without involving Draco?"

Remus looked doubtfully. "I could ask Severus to see whether he wants to contact Lucius about that book," he suggested.

"Yes, let's do that," Harry said relieved.

"Talking about Draco reminds me - did you have fun at the Halloween party yesterday?" Sirius asked smiling.

Harry blushed and began to pet Ruby. Just when he had nearly forgotten about that… He cleared his throat. "Yes, it was fun."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "Did something happen?"

"What? NO! Of course not!" Harry laughed nervously. "What could have happened?"

Sirius and Remus glanced at each other.

"Are you sure nothing happened? You look a bit flushed," Sirius commented, studying his godson's blushing face.

"Yes, I'm sure. Absolutely sure. Oh, look at that! It's time for breakfast! I'll see you later. Bye Sirius, Remus!" Harry hastily said, grabbed his cat who meowed as if protesting and almost ran out of the room.

"He does know he could eat with us, right?" Sirius asked bemused.

"Hm." Remus nodded absently. Something was going on and he would figure out what it was.

* * *

Harry stalked through the hallways, Sapphire still cradled in his arms, Ruby following next to him. Sirius just had to bring up the party. Now all Harry could think of again was that damned kiss. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he just forget about it? It was just one stupid kiss, for Merlin's sake!

_Yes, but it was a kiss with Draco Malfoy, the most handsome guy in school_ , a voice whispered in the back of his mind.

_That doesn't matter. It was still just a kiss_ , Harry argued and then slapped himself. He groaned. _Great. Now I'm arguing with myself. This day just keeps getting better and better._

Harry was so focused on trying not to think about the kiss, that he didn't see the person in front of him. The result? He collided with said person and would have fallen on the ground if that person hadn't caught him around the waist.

"Harry, are you alright?" Draco's voice asked concerned.

Harry tensed and stepped back, out of Draco's reach. Still embarrassed about the kiss, he refused to meet Draco's concerned gaze and mumbled, "I'm fine, don't worry. I was distracted, so I didn't see you." Unconsciously he hugged Sapphire closer to his chest. She answered by patting his chin with her paw.

"Why were you distracted?" Draco asked curiously, absently reaching out to pat Sapphire on her head.

Harry flinched a bit when Draco's hand neared his skin and tried to cover his slip by hastily stepping aside. "Nothing special. Just caught up in my thoughts. Say, I'm going to the Great Hall for breakfast. I'm starved," he replied hastily and quickened his pace, leaving Draco behind.

* * *

Draco's hand fell back to his side and he stared at Harry's back, who made his way out of the hallway. What had just happened? Had he done something wrong? Harry hadn't once looked at him and it seemed that he didn't want to stay near Draco. Why? Draco was confused and hurt. He knew it was silly to be hurt because of that; Harry hadn't done anything wrong, except for not looking at him and getting away quickly. But why had he done that?

He had never done that; not even when they were school enemies. So what was this all about?

_Or_ , Draco thought suddenly, _has it to do something with our kiss of yesterday?_

After they were done kissing, Harry hadn't said anything to him for the whole evening, though he did stay seated on his lap. Draco hadn't thought Harry would have a problem with that. They had kissed, so what?

Alright, for Draco the kiss had meant something more, but that Harry couldn't have known that. So why did Harry act like that? He wouldn't start avoiding him, would he?

Draco resolved himself to talk about the kiss with Harry. Who knew, maybe he was lucky and Harry felt something for him too. Maybe. If he was lucky.

* * *

Talking with Harry, however, proved to be very difficult. Draco didn't know before how evasive Harry could be if he wanted to.

When Draco arrived at breakfast, he found out he couldn't sit next to Harry, because he sat between Blaise and Millicent. That had never happened before. Draco frowned, but took a seat next to Blaise. He didn't have a chance to talk to Harry either, because the boy was chattering nonstop with other Slytherins. After breakfast ended, Draco saw Harry leaving the Great Hall, still with Sapphire in his arms and quickened his pace so he could catch up with Harry. Despite his haste, he couldn't find Harry anywhere.

For the rest of the day, Draco didn't have a clue as to where Harry could be. For a few moments he had been afraid that Harry had gotten into some troubles with Gryffindors – Merlin knew how much they loathed him now – but had calmed down when he saw all the Gryffindors in the Great Hall or in their common room. Still, it looked like Harry had disappeared from Hogwarts.

Draco had gotten to the point where he was about to interrogate Black or Lupin about Harry's whereabouts, when he saw Harry entering the Great Hall for dinner. He didn't look injured, only troubled about something. Again, Draco couldn't talk to Harry, but he figured he could grab his chance after the Quidditch practice that night. It was the last practice before their match against Gryffindor this Saturday, so all they did was revising their tactics and moves until it was too dark to fly and they all went back to the locker rooms where they changed back into their school robes.

"Harry, can I talk to you – in private?" Draco added, when he saw Blaise trying to listen in.

Harry averted his eyes and grabbed his bag tighter. "I'm sorry, Draco, but I don't have time now. Sirius wants to see me, so I guess I see you back in the dorms."

And just like that, Harry was gone in a flash.

"Come on, Draco; let's head back to the dorms. I'm exhausted!" Blaise complained, stirring the blond boy along.

Nott smirked from his place by the fire when Draco and Blaise entered the common room. He waited until the two boys were near him before he murmured, "It looks like your toy ran away again. My, my, you must have really shocked him with your kiss, Malfoy. Haven't you learned that you should be gently with little virgins? Or have you already made use of your toy?"

If it wasn't for Blaise holding him back, Draco would have beaten – and cursed – the living daylights out of Theodore.

"I swear to Merlin, Nott, I will curse you so badly, nobody will recognize you again! You're really testing my patience, son of a bitch!" Draco hissed, struggling against Blaise's hold.

"Oh, I'm so scared now," Nott mocked, his eyes glinting maliciously.

"Shut the fuck up before I make you, Nott," Blaise said coldly and tugged Draco back. "Come on, Drake, he's not worth your time." He managed to drag the blond boy to their dorm where he released him, after locking up the door. In the state Draco was in, he could very well murder Nott. Not that Blaise would blame him.

Draco was seething. He saw red and he clenched his fists. "How dare he? As if he knows anything about… I should go back and beat the shit out of him for saying those things, that smug, arrogant asshole!" he growled.

"I completely agree with you and would gladly offer my help, but it's best not to do anything. It will only give us more trouble," Blaise stated calmly and sat down on his bed. "Now I suggest you calm down, so you can talk to Harry later when he comes back, without freaking him out."

Draco hated to admit it, but Blaise was right. It wouldn't do to still be this angry when Harry showed up, so he laid back on his bed, folded his arms beneath his head and stared at nothing in particular, trying to calm down and waiting for Harry to show up.

He didn't see Harry sneaking back in or Nott sneaking out.

* * *

The next morning, Harry was already gone by the time Draco woke up.

"This is all your fault!" Draco hissed when he and Blaise walked to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Indignantly, Blaise looked at him. "What did I do now?"

"Because of your stupid dare Harry won't look, talk or be near me. He's avoiding me and that's all your fault!" Draco growled, his eyes cold.

"Wait a minute! I gave Harry that dare to give you a chance to act on your feelings," Blaise defended himself. "Merlin knows why you take so long to make a move when you had no problems with that in the past, so I figured I would give you a boost. For the love of God, Drake, just corner him and talk to him. You make the situation unnecessarily difficult."

Draco glared, but didn't reply.

* * *

"Is Harry here?"

Sirius raised an eyebrow when he saw Draco standing in front of him, arms crossed and head raised.

"No. I didn't see him since yesterday. Why?" he asked, leaning casually against the door post.

"I need to talk with him, but I can't find him," Draco answered, gritting his teeth.

"Does this have something to do with whatever you did on Wednesday?" Sirius inquired.

"Maybe," Draco confessed unwillingly.

"What's the matter?" Remus asked when he arrived at the portrait with three old, thick books in his arms, looking between the two men.

"Blondie here wants to know where Harry is," Sirius replied grinning, ignoring the annoyed hiss of Draco.

Remus looked at Draco surprised. "Oh. Well, I suppose you can check with Severus. I left him there," he informed him, while Sirius took over the books and gave him a quick kiss on his mouth.

"Thanks." Draco nodded and walked to the stairs, determined to not let Harry escape.

"Are these the books on the runes?" Sirius asked and shut the portrait behind them, before placing the books on their dinner table.

Remus nodded and pushed his hair back out of his eyes. "Yes, Lucius gave them to Severus and he passed those on. According to Lucius, you'll find all the information there is about runes in there. Severus told me that Lucius was curious as to why we would need those books, so I guess we can expect questions." With a sigh, he plopped down on the chair and pulled the first book towards him.

"Hmm," Sirius muttered absently and stood behind Remus, bending his head so he could kiss Remus in his neck, sliding his hands up and down over his chest, opening Remus' shirt, so he could stroke Remus' naked chest.

"Sirius, what are you doing?" Remus asked amused and wary at the same time.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Sirius mumbled, nipping Remus' ear, smiling when he felt him shivering.

"It looks like you're trying to distract me," Remus sighed, letting his head fall back so that Sirius had better access to his skin.

Sirius chuckled; the sound making Remus clenching his stomach in anticipation. "Is it working?"

"Hmm, we really should be looking through these books," Remus groaned when Sirius started sucking on his pulse point. Damn that dog for knowing his weak spots. It was so unfair.

"Those books can wait for a few minutes… or half an hour. I really want you, Moony," Sirius whispered, sliding his hand down.

Remus moaned and relaxed; those books could wait for a few moments. He had a lover to take care of.

* * *

"Instead of the Occlumency lessons, we will do something different. You will still receive one Occlumency lesson in the week, but that is merely a revision," Snape said calmly.

"What will we be doing instead, sir?" Harry asked, frowning.

"Talking about your issues and your past."

Harry stared at him. Snape stared back. Then Harry tried to bolt. He managed to open the door when Snape caught him around his waist and tried to stop the struggling.

"Potter, cease your childish fight and listen to me!" Snape snapped.

"No! I don't need the talking! I'm perfectly fine! I don't have issues and I have nothing to talk about. Now let me go!" Harry snapped back.

Ruby, Sapphire and Garin were looking at the scene, uncertain about what to do. On the one hand, they hated seeing their master upset, but on the other hand, they understood the tall, dark man just wanted to help their master.

"For Merlin's sake, Potter! You're not fine and you're going to talk even if I have to force Veritaserum down your throat!" Snape said irritated. Honestly, one would think he was trying to kill the boy with the amount of struggling the boy put up.

At hearing the threat, Harry stopped struggling and turned his head to look at Snape, narrowing his eyes. "You wouldn't dare," he hissed.

"I assure you I would. Now, our first talk will be in a week and you better be present or I will drag you to my quarters," Snape warned him and let Harry go, taking a step back.

Harry opened his mouth, but froze when Draco said, "Harry, if you're done here, we need to talk."

Harry turned around with dread and saw Draco standing a few feet away from him with a determined face, blocking Harry's path. Draco wasn't about to let him escape now.

Snape nodded at Draco as a form of greeting him. "I will send you a note with the time and date. I'll see you tomorrow with the match. Good day." He closed the door, after making sure Potter's pets were outside too. When he was alone again, he cradled his head in his hands and sighed. He needed a drink.

* * *

Draco grabbed Harry's wrist to prevent his escape and tugged, leading the smaller boy away from Snape's quarters, into one of the dark hallways of the dungeons where nobody came. Perfect for a private talk.

As soon as they halted, Harry snatched his hand back. "Did you really have to drag me? I'm not a kid." He scowled.

"I had to drag you, considering you're avoiding me like the plague. How else was I supposed to get you to talk to me?" Draco said, leaning against the wall casually, but his body was tense.

"I wasn't avoiding you," Harry mumbled weakly, not daring to look in Draco's eyes.

Draco scoffed. "Of course not. That's why you haven't talked to me or looked at me for two days. I'll bet you would still be avoiding me if I hadn't found you," he said harshly.

Harry flinched, but didn't react.

Draco sighed. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong? Does it have something to do with what happened Wednesday?"

"Maybe," Harry muttered, not willing to continue this particular conversation.

"What in particular has bothered you?" Draco asked uncomfortably. Why couldn't this be simpler with Harry admitting he had feelings for Draco too? Weren't Gryffindors supposed to be brave?

Harry didn't answer and looked away.

Draco bit on his lip. "Was it the kiss?" he asked softly.

Unwillingly, Harry looked at him. "I was just… a bit confused," he admitted hesitantly.

"Confused? Why?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe it was because we are two blokes who had to kiss each other," Harry replied sarcastically.

_When feeling uncomfortable, use sarcasm._

"If the kiss bothered you so much, we can pretend it never happened. Nobody needs to know about it," Draco offered, though he was hurt. That kiss had been one of the best moments in his life.

"Really? You wouldn't mind it?" Harry asked relieved.

"Of course not. I don't want our friendship suffering, because we had to kiss for a dare." Draco smiled a bit strained.

"Thanks. For a moment I thought… never mind. I'm glad we're still friends," Harry grinned and gave the blond a quick hug. He was relieved that the awkwardness between them was gone, although… Deep inside him, he felt a bit disappointed. Why? He didn't know. He would think about that later.

_Friends huh?_ Draco thought wryly. _Is that all we're going to be? Just friends?_ He wouldn't settle for that. Harry would fall in love with him too, even if Draco had to woo him for years. Harry was his and he was Harry's – it was that plain simple.

* * *

The next day, it was the most anticipated match - Gryffindor versus Slytherin. It had never been so noisy in the Great Hall as today. Each House was placing bets. With Harry now in Slytherin, which House would win? Throughout all the years, it had been Gryffindor who had won against Slytherin. However, this year, Slytherin had one advantage - Harry Potter. The whole school was wondering which position Harry played. After all, the Seeker position was taken by Draco Malfoy, wasn't it?

"I'll never understand why they are all so excited. It's just a game," Harry muttered, picking at his scrambled eggs. Nervous butterflies were fluttering in his stomach. This would be the first time he played against his former team. How would this end?

"Yes, but it's also a test of power. The winning House proves he's more powerful than the other," Blaise said dramatically.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Yes, because that's all what Quidditch is about."

"Mister Potter," the smooth voice of Snape said behind them. They startled and turned around. "I hope we will get to watch an exciting match with a satisfying result for us. That cannot be too difficult, not?"

"So basically what you just said was, don't dare to lose, right?" Harry said dryly, while some of his team mates were smirking.

Snape smirked. "I'm glad to hear you acquired the skill to read between the lines. Have a nice game." He nodded to the others and walked away.

Harry raised an eyebrow when he saw Draco smirking. "Why are you smirking?"

"I'm just picturing the faces of the Gryffindor team – Weasley especially – when they hear they lost to us," Draco answered and took a sip of his coffee. "Ah, the sweet taste of victory."

Harry chuckled.

Sirius and Remus appeared behind him … with a Slytherin scarf.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were supporters of Gryffindors?"

Remus gave him a quick hug. "We support you. If this means we support Slytherin, then so be it," he smiled.

"Minerva wasn't pleased with us. But I suppose Slytherin is still a better House to be in than Hufflepuff," Sirius said dryly, but he was grinning. He gave Harry a hug too. "Do your best, pup."

"I will," Harry smiled, happy to hear they were supporting him.

When Sirius turned around to chatter with Draco, Harry turned to Remus. "How did you manage to make Sirius wear a Slytherin scarf?" he whispered amused.

Suddenly, Remus smiled devilishly. "Let's just say I know which buttons I need to push." _Or lick,_ he added in a gleeful afterthought.

"Oh." Harry blinked.

"What do you say of us babysitting your pets while you play?" Remus offered.

"Thanks," Harry smiled and handed over Sapphire while he directed an invisible Ruby and Garin to Remus.

"We'll see you after the match, pup," Sirius grinned and waved.

Discreetly, Remus looked at the Gryffindor table. He narrowed his eyes a bit when he saw the look on Ron's face. It almost looked murderous.

"Sirius, do you have your wand in hand reach?" he muttered softly, grabbing his own wand in his pocket.

"Yes, why?" Sirius asked surprised.

"Because I think we need to be ready to intervene later in the match," Remus answered softly.

Sirius looked over at the Gryffindor table and nodded grimly.

Harry's pets looked up when they heard that and they growled inaudibly. If someone dared to harm their master, there would be hell to pay.

"All right, let's go," Draco ordered.

The whole team stood up and followed their Captain. At the door they bumped into the Gryffindor team.

"Well, well, if this isn't the ferret boy," Ron sneered.

"And if this isn't the Weasel. I'm surprised you found the courage to crawl out of your hole and face me," Draco sneered back.

Harry gripped his arm, but didn't stop him.

Ron went red. "You're going to lose, Malfoy. We've never lost a match against you," he snapped.

"The only reason why you'd won was, because Harry was in your team. But guess what, Weasel; we have Harry now," Draco smirked.

"Oh yeah? We don't need Potter to win! Ginny is a better Seeker than you!" Ron snapped.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Who said I'm the Seeker?" He beckoned his team to follow him to the locker rooms, leaving Ron baffled behind.

"Was that really necessary? Taunting Ron like that?" Harry sighed and slipped on his shirt.

"He started it."

Harry rolled his eyes and grabbed his Firebolt.

* * *

"I want a fair game, understood?" Madam Hooch warned them. "Captains, shake hands."

To Harry it seemed that Draco and Ron were trying to crush each other's hands.

"You're going to lose, ferret," Ron hissed.

"Don't let your nerves get in the way, Weasel," Draco smirked. He began to hum the tune of 'Weasel is our king'.

Ron snarled.

They all got on their brooms and flew up. Immediately, Harry flew higher so he could both watch the game and search for the Snitch.

It was the beginning of November and it was very cold. Harry's cheeks coloured red from the cold wind and he had to cast a warming charm to keep his teeth from chattering too much.

Ginny was flying a few feet under him and she smiled and winked at him, before flying to the other side of the field giggling. Harry shook his head and concentrated on the commentary that was given by some fifth year Hufflepuff.

"Malfoy, who is now filling in the spot of Chaser to our surprise, has the Quaffle. He flies to the goals, throws and … scores! Weasley was too late! Ten points for Slytherin." The Hufflepuff sounded disappointed.

Harry grinned. Ron started to get red.

It was half an hour later and Harry still hadn't seen the Snitch. It was sixty to forty for Slytherin when the game got uglier.

Harry, as well as Draco, had to duck and swirl multiple times to avoid being hit by a Bludger. It wasn't a coincidence. The Beaters of Gryffindor, Jimmy Peakes and Ritchie Coote, were purposefully aiming for Harry and Draco. Mainly they aimed for the head and back. To avoid the Bludgers, Blaise was protecting Harry and Harper was watching Draco's back.

Then it happened. Harry saw the Snitch circling near the seats of the teachers. He looked around and saw Ginny on the other end of the field. This was his chance. He turned in the right direction to make a dive when he saw something that made his heart stop. The two Bludgers were flying fast towards Draco. One would hit him in the back; the other one would hit his leg, probably breaking it. Harper wouldn't be able to hit both Bludgers.

"Blaise, help Harper with the Bludgers!" Harry yelled.

Blaise nodded and sped up so he could reach Draco in time.

Figuring he couldn't do anything else to help Draco, Harry directed his attention to the Snitch which was hovering ten feet above the ground next to the teachers' stand.

He heard the Slytherins and even some teachers cheering him on when he went into a dive. He was nearly there. He almost had it. He sat up and stretched his arm to grab the Snitch when something hard hit him right in his chest, knocking the wind out of him. An exploding pain in his chest caused him to lose his grip on his broom and the searing pain made him lose his balance. His hand shot out and his fingertips grabbed the broom – the only thing that was making sure he didn't fall. He groaned when the pain got worse; he probably had broken a few ribs.

The crowd was screaming and he vaguely heard Remus and Sirius yelling.

He clenched his teeth and tried to haul himself up on his broom again, but the pain stopped him and he let out a yelp.

Suddenly he saw Draco flying underneath him.

"Harry! Are you okay?" he asked frantically.

"Yeah, help me back up, will you? I have a game to win," Harry smiled weakly, but couldn't hold back a scream when Draco grabbed him around his waist and somehow managed to host him back up on his broom.

"Merlin, Harry, are your ribs broken?" Draco asked shocked.

Breathing shakily, Harry gripped his broom tightly and tried to ignore the searing pain that made breathing difficult. "I think so, but we can worry about that later. I have to catch that damn Snitch!" He frantically looked around and saw the Snitch near the ground right in the middle of the field. He immediately sped towards it, seeing Ginny do the same. She was almost there.

"POTTER, STOP FLYING, YOU FUCKING IDIOT!" Draco screamed in worry and flew after him.

"Look at this! Potter and Weasley are nearing the Snitch! Who will catch it?" the Hufflepuff yelled.

"Come on, come on," Harry whispered through clenched teeth. He threw himself into a dive, an adrenaline rush floating through his veins. He didn't hear anything else, didn't see anything else but the Snitch.

Soon he would have to pull up from the dive to avoid crashing into the ground, but first he had to catch the Snitch. From his right side he saw a small, pale hand reaching out, but he brushed it aside. Having no other choice, Ginny pulled up, not fancying a date with the grass, leaving Harry free to catch the Snitch. He stretched a little bit more, ignoring the pain. His fingertips brushed the little, golden ball… And then he closed his fist around it. He had caught the Snitch. Slytherin had won.

Harry heard the Slytherins yelling and cheering. He grinned and had just pulled out of the dive, making a move to land softly when a Bludger against his side threw him off of his Firebolt, sending his sprawling over the ground. Luckily for him, he had only been a few feet away from the ground so he didn't crash too hard. Harry groaned when he landed on his back and struggled to catch his breath.

"Idiot! Moron! What were you thinking? Do you have a death wish?" Draco yelled when he landed next to Harry.

Weakly, Harry grinned and held out his hand with the Snitch. "Look, Draco, we won."

Draco took a deep breath and prepared himself to shout more, when a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Save your energy for later, Draco. Potter needs to go to the Hospital," Snape said softly. "And I have to go and give some detention and reduction of points," he muttered underneath his breath.

Draco nodded.

"All right, cub, let's get you to the hospital," Remus said softly when he arrived on the field.

Carefully as to not jostle him around too much, Sirius picked Harry up and walked briskly off the field.

What followed after that, was like a daze for Harry. He vaguely remembered Sirius putting him down on a bed and Pomfrey shoving potions down his throat while scolding him. The Quidditch team came to congratulate him and he was told that he had to spend the night in the hospital wing to heal his four broken ribs.

Draco had brought him a bag with stuff for the night and had proceeded to scold and shout at him for an hour before calming down and making Harry swear he would never do something as stupid as that again. Remus and Sirius had to leave a few hours later, but Draco stayed until visitor hours were over.

Just when he was about to leave and Harry was about to fall asleep, something strange happened. When Draco murmured 'Sleep well' Harry swore he had felt Draco's lips touching his forehead. But that couldn't be because boys didn't do that by their friends, right? Harry fell into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

When Harry woke up again, it was still dark. He searched for his wand and casted a Tempus spell. Three thirty.

Thoughts about Draco, the kiss and the Quidditch match made him restless and he decided to go for a walk. He stepped out of bed and was relieved when he didn't feel any pain. He searched through his bag and was surprised to find his invisibility cloak. Draco must have put it in by accident.

He threw the cloak over him and silently made his way out of the hospital wing. His pets weren't with him; they were staying with Remus and Sirius.

He wandered aimlessly around, not paying attention to his surroundings while trying to discover what he truly felt for Draco. Sure, he liked him, but just as a friend, right?

Harry was severely confused and when he finally looked around, he saw that he was standing in a hallway where he never had been before. Everywhere was dust and grime and chairs and desks were lying against the walls. It was clear nobody ever came here.

Just when he was about to go back, a deep, smooth, male voice asked, "Who is here?"

Quickly, Harry turned around and noticed a portrait. It was of a tall, pale man with dark hair and brown eyes, dressed in green robes. He looked very rich.

Harry licked his lips and revealed himself.

The man merely raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me sir, but who are you?" Harry asked carefully.

The man raised his other eyebrow. "My name is Salazar Slytherin, one of the four Founders of this school. And who might you be, young man?"


	21. Discovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: More information about Dumbledore, angry Molly
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 21: Discovery**

Harry could do nothing else but stare. This painting was Salazar Slytherin, the founder of his new House? Was he dreaming? He pinched himself; ouch, that hurt. So he wasn't dreaming.

"Young man, are you going to give me your name or are you suddenly mute?" Salazar asked annoyed.

"I'm sorry! My name is Harry Potter," Harry introduced himself blushing.

"Harry Potter? Yes, I have heard of you. Layla told me a few interesting things about you," Salazar replied pensively.

"Layla? Who is that, sir?" Harry dared to ask.

"Please, call me Salazar. I never liked that kind of title," Salazar chuckled. "Layla is my snake. She's a magical animal that can live two thousand years. Sufficient to say she's a very rare creature. Tell me, Mister Potter, why you are wandering around in the school at this late hour?"

"Eh, I just had a lot of things on my mind and I figured a walk would clear my head. Are you going to report me?" Harry asked worriedly. He could smack himself for not thinking of that earlier. The paintings usually didn't interfere with students, but Salazar was one of the Founders and a former teacher. He could be in big trouble now.

He started when Salazar roughly laughed. "Report you? Why would I do that? It has been ages since I had a chance to talk with someone. Besides, even if I wanted to report you, I couldn't. My painting isn't connected with the wall. I can't visit other paintings."

Only then did Harry see that Salazar's painting was leaning against a chair that stood on a desk.

"Why are you not connected with the wall?" Harry asked curiously. All the paintings he knew were connected to a wall.

Salazar smirked. "I had a big mouth against old Dumbles. When he first began as headmaster, mine, Godric's, Helga's and Rowena's paintings hung in his office. He wasn't as confident as he is now and often asked us for advice. From the moment he was here, I got a bad feeling from him. Even as a child, he was manipulative and cunning. He should have been put in my House, but I suspect he somehow convinced the Hat that he belonged in Gryffindor."

Harry shuffled with his feet when he heard that. He had done exactly the same five years ago.

"Anyway, after a while I managed to convince Godric, Helga and Rowena that Dumbles couldn't be trusted. We started to give him bad advice and had to hide our laughter every time he made a fool out of himself. Believe me, there were many times." Salazar chuckled when he seemingly remembered some things. "Eventually, he figured us out and got furious. He took our paintings off the wall and hid us so that no one could find us. I don't know where he hid the others. You're the first one in more than fifty years that I can speak with. Speaking with my snake isn't just the same as talking with people," he sighed.

_So I'm not the only one Dumbledore is screwing over_ , Harry thought dryly. Then he remembered something.

"Can I ask you something, Salazar?" Harry asked, his heart starting to beat wildly. If his suspicions were true, then Dumbledore was more dangerous than he thought.

"Ask away. I find it rather enjoyable to talk with you," Salazar smiled.

"If Dumbledore made so many foolish mistakes, then why does everyone say he's the wisest man on earth?"

Salazar's expression grew dark. "Because he Obliviated those people and put a fake memory in their head every time he made a mistake."

Harry gaped at him in shock. So it was true. That Dumbledore would stoop so low… Unbelievable. He was as dangerous as Voldemort! At least Voldemort didn't put fake memories in someone's head.

"Yes, you didn't expect that from our dear, old Dumbles, did you?" Salazar laughed. "Now why don't you grab a chair and tell me about yourself? For instance, you can tell me what you think of Slytherin, now it has become your House as well," he smirked.

Harry smiled weakly and grabbed a chair and dragged it to Salazar's painting. He figured he could stay here for a while. Salazar seemed like a fun guy.

Somehow Harry started to talk about all his adventures and he amused himself so great, he didn't notice how the hours flew by and the sun rose. When he finally used a Tempus spell, he cursed. It was seven a.m. Pomfrey would kill him. She always did her round at seven a.m.

"Oh shit! I'm late! Pomfrey will kill me!" Harry muttered and jumped out of his chair.

"What's the matter, Harry?" Salazar asked surprised.

"I have to go back to the hospital wing. I'll see you later, Salazar," Harry replied hastily.

"Alright. I look forward to your next visit. Layla will lead you back to the hospital wing," Salazar grinned and waved.

"Thank you!" Harry's eyes widened when he saw a black snake slithering out the corner. When she moved into the soft sunlight, her scales were glittering, casting various colours on the wall, including black and purple. Her eyes were cobalt blue and she stared at Harry who was mesmerized by her beauty.

" _You are very beautiful, Layla,_ " Harry spoke in Parseltongue.

Salazar raised an eyebrow and smirked when he heard Harry hissing. _Who claims that boy belongs in Gryffindor, obviously doesn't know him well_ , he thought smugly.

" _Thank you, Master Harry. Please follow me. I will bring you back to your nest,_ " Layla hissed back and started to slither out the small hallway.

Harry didn't have a clue as to how she managed it, but Layla was able to climb up the stairs until they reached the seventh floor.

She stopped a few feet away from the door of the infirmary. " _If you want to visit Master Salazar again, your companion, Garin, will lead you to him. Until then, farewell, Master Harry,_ " Layla hissed and disappeared into a crack in the wall.

Harry folded his Invisibility Cloak and shrunk it before putting it into his breast pocket of his pyjamas. Nervously he opened the door and gulped when he was met with Pomfrey's furious eyes.

"Where have you been, Mister Potter? You were supposed to be in bed." Her eyes narrowed and she tapped his foot and placed her hands on her hips.

"Eh, well, I …" Harry stammered, trying to find a good excuse – which did not involve meeting Salazar's painting. That would be difficult to explain.

"Well, what, Mister Potter? I want an answer," Pomfrey huffed.

"I went … for a walk. I wanted to stretch my legs a bit," Harry lied quickly.

"You went for a walk."

Harry nodded.

"When did you go for a walk?" Pomfrey asked suspiciously.

"Oh, eh, I don't know how late it was, but the sun was just rising up," Harry answered and crossed his fingers behind his back.

"Hm. I suppose I have to believe you. Now, sit down. I want to check your ribs," Pomfrey sighed and ushered him to his bed.

Pomfrey poked and prodded at him for a quarter of an hour before she was finally satisfied.

Before she released him, she still had one order for him. "Your ribs are healed, but you have to eat more. You're still a bit underweight."

"Yes, Madam Pomfrey." Harry nodded, just like he did every time she mentioned his weight.

She huffed, but went into her office, leaving Harry free to depart.

Harry grabbed his bag and walked out of the hospital wing.

* * *

"Harry, I just came to pick you up," Draco smiled when he arrived on the top of the stairs.

Harry blushed. "I thought you weren't a morning person?" he asked to distract himself in an attempt to stop thinking about the maybe – kiss he had received last night.

Draco shrugged. "For some people I make an exception." He winked.

Harry blushed harder.

"Are your ribs fully healed?" Draco asked with a hint of worry in his voice.

Harry nodded smiling. "Yeah, the potions did their job."

"Good." Draco nodded and then promptly smacked Harry on his head.

"Ouch, shit! Why did you do that?" Harry exclaimed and rubbed his sore spot.

"That's because you were so stupid to keep flying when you were hurt, idiot," Draco growled and they ascended from another stair.

"But we won," Harry pouted, not understanding the problem.

"Yes, but you had four broken ribs. Next time you pull a stunt like that, I will personally kick your arse," Draco scowled and crossed his arms.

Harry chuckled. "I'm happy to see you too."

Draco rolled his eyes, but smiled.

They were nearly at the stairs of the third floor, when they heard two voices arguing. They peeked around the corner and saw Snape and McGonagall standing in the middle of the hallway.

"Severus, I already punished him. There is no need for you to give a punishment as well," McGonagall said annoyed.

"He attacked one of my students. If Potter hadn't been that low to the ground, he could have been severely injured. The game had ended – there was no need for Weasley to slam a Bludger in Potter's direction. If you ask me, it seemed as if Weasley wanted to get rid of Potter," Snape retorted calmly, but his body was tense. "A simple reduction of points will not suffice in this case."

"You make it sound as if he wanted to kill Potter!" McGonagall exclaimed shocked. "I admit that Weasley was severely in fault, but he would never kill Potter! They were friends."

Harry's eyes widened. It had been Ron who slammed the second Bludger to him. Had he been that angry that he lost that he saw the need to get revenge? How had it come to this? His chance to rekindle their friendship later was now completely gone. His jaw tightened; if Ron would act like an asshole, then so be it. It had been stupid of him to think that they could be friends again one day. He really should stop caring for people who loathed him now.

He startled when a warm, slender hand gripped his. He looked up and saw Draco smiling weakly at him and he felt him giving him a squeeze. He smiled softly back and squeezed back. At least he still had Draco as his friend.

He focused again on the conversation.

"You used the past tense correctly, Minerva. Their friendship died a long time ago. I don't care if I have your permission or not, I will punish Weasley in a way that fits his fault," Snape replied.

"Since when do you care about Potter? I thought you loathed each other," McGonagall asked confused.

"He is one of my students. And he can be smart if he wants to be. It seems that Mister Malfoy had a better influence on him than that Weasley boy." Harry could perfectly picture the smirk that, without a doubt, was on Snape's face.

McGonagall hmph'd, but didn't reply.

"If you will excuse me, it's time for breakfast." They heard him walking to the stairs and then he stopped. "Oh, and Minerva?"

"Yes, Severus?"

"We won the game. Gryffindor lost."

Draco and Harry had to stifle their chuckles. Snape was really enjoying rubbing it in McGonagall's face.

They waited until they didn't hear their professors anymore, before walking around the corner – and abruptly bumped into a black clothed chest.

"Done with eavesdropping?" Snape's voice drawled.

"Good morning, Uncle Sev," Draco smiled innocently, not in the least bit ashamed of getting caught.

"How did you know we were here, professor?" Harry blushed at being caught.

"I possess ears, Potter. I heard your chatter and your footsteps," Snape replied and he sounded amused.

"What punishment will you give the Weasel, Sev?" Draco asked, eager for revenge.

Snape glanced apprehensively at Harry.

Harry, understanding Snape's look, shrugged. "You can give any punishment you want, sir. I don't care."

"Maybe there is hope for you after all," Snape smirked. "While I think about a suitable punishment, I have to bring Potter to the mutt and the wolf."

"Can I come too?" Draco asked immediately.

"I suppose so. Your father is there too."

"My father? Why is he here?" Draco asked surprised while they walked further into the hallway.

"I don't know," Snape answered tonelessly.

Both boys narrowed their eyes. They knew that Snape knew why Lucius was here.

They arrived at the portrait guarding Remus' quarters.

"It's good to see you are healthy again, young man," the man in the portrait smiled.

"Thank you, sir," Harry smiled.

"I assume you want to enter?" the man asked.

The group nodded.

With a nod, the portrait opened.

Harry was immediately engulfed in a big hug when he walked in the room.

"Sirius, don't suffocate him. Pomfrey won't like it if he ends up in her ward again," Remus' amused voice spoke up.

"Shut up. If I want to hug my godson, then I hug him," Sirius replied, but released him.

Sirius nodded at Snape and Draco, before steering Harry off to the couch to sit between Sirius and Remus. The table in front of him was loaded with all kinds of food.

"We already ordered breakfast. You can choose whatever you want, cub," Remus smiled, though he looked a bit tired. Harry realized it was only a week before the full moon.

Snape chose to stand against a wall, next to a window, but Draco went to sit next to Lucius in a chair.

"Good morning, Lucius," Harry smiled while trying to decide what he would eat.

Lucius smiled back. "Good morning, Harry. I heard you had an accident yesterday."

"Yeah, but I'm fine. The potions did their work." Harry shrugged.

"That Weasley boy is working on my nerves," Sirius muttered darkly.

"Don't worry. I will give him a suitable punishment," Snape smirked.

Sirius chuckled darkly. "I don't doubt it."

"Father, if you don't mind me asking, why are you here?" Draco asked curiously.

"Just catching up with Severus and visiting you," Lucius chuckled, but his eyes were concerned.

Harry and Draco looked at each other; something was going on here.

A peck on the window startled them and Snape opened the window to let an old owl in, carrying a red letter. Harry stared at the letter when the owl stuck his leg out. Who would have sent him a Howler?

"A Howler?" Lucius muttered. "What did you do?"

Harry shrugged helplessly, but released the owl from his burden.

"HARRY POTTER! RON SENT ME A LETTER AND I'M APPALED AT THE THINGS I READ!" Molly Weasley's shrill voice made everyone wince. Harry went pale. "HOW DARE YOU RUB IT IN RON'S FACE THAT HE WAS SECOND CHOICE FOR THE CAPTAIN POSITION? I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DID THAT! AND HOW DARE YOU HURT HERMIONE WITH YOUR MAGIC WHEN SHE WANTED TO HELP YOU? THAT SWEET GIRL DIDN'T DESERVE THAT. AND MY POOR GINNY! RON WROTE TO ME THAT YOU BROKE HER HEART. YOU KNOW HOW MUCH SHE LOVES YOU. YOU COULD AT LEAST GIVE HER A CHANCE! RIGHT FROM THE START I KNEW THAT MALFOY BOY HAD A BAD INFLUENCE ON YOU. YOU NEED TO END THIS SO CALLED FRIENDSHIP BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE! RON AND HERMIONE ARE YOUR REAL FRIENDS. I'M DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED IN YOU, HARRY. I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE A SLYTHERIN NOW, IT DOESN'T MAKE YOU BETTER. YOU NEED TO APOLOGIZE TO RON, HERMIONE AND GINNY. AND IF I EVER HEAR AGAIN YOU BLAME RON WHEN YOU MAKE A MISTAKE IN QUIDDITCH, I WILL PERSONALLY COME TO HOGWARTS TO SET YOU STRAIGHT! CEASE YOUR ARROGANCE NOW, YOUNG MAN AND I MIGHT FORGIVE YOU." After that, the letter exploded.

Before anyone could react, Harry hissed with his fists clenched, "What an asshole! I can't believe he – how dare he? Writing to his mum; what is he? A kid? That bastard!" He was so pissed off he couldn't find words worse enough to describe Ron.

"That was really low and immature of the Weasley boy." Lucius frowned.

"Weasley has just dug himself in a worse position," Snape muttered.

"We'll deal with Molly. Don't listen to what she says, Harry," Remus soothed, though inside he was seething. He wanted to hurt both Ron and Molly for hurting Harry like this.

"I wasn't planning to. I'm only planning to hex the hell out of Ron when I see him again," Harry growled.

"We didn't hear that and conveniently we won't be there when you happen to see him," Sirius smirked.

Sapphire purred and sprang on Harry's lap. Garin slithered his way up to his neck and Ruby settled against Harry's legs.

At seeing his snake, Harry suddenly remembered the portrait of Salazar Slytherin. It would be easier if he could talk to Salazar in a room instead of a dark hallway.

"Eh, I need to tell you something, guys," Harry began, after he had finished his breakfast.

They looked up. "What is it, cub?" Remus asked curiously.

Harry began to fidget and looked at Sapphire on his lap. "You see, last night, I couldn't sleep and I went for a walk."

"After curfew?" Sirius asked amused.

"Not per se after curfew, because it was nearly morning," Harry defended himself. Snape and Lucius smirked at each other. "Anyway, I stopped in an unused hallway, but when I wanted to go back, a portrait stopped me."

Sirius frowned. "Which portrait?"

"The portrait of Salazar Slytherin."

"You're joking, right?" Draco asked incredulously.

Harry shook his head. "No, I really talked with him last night. His snake, Layla, brought me back to the hospital wing."

"What did you talk about?" Lucius asked curiously.

Harry explained about the information on Dumbledore and the talk he had had afterwards.

"So Dumbledore got fed up with the Founders and separated and hid them," Remus mused.

Harry nodded.

"You know, it could be useful if we had one of the Founders on our side – even if it is a portrait," Lucius commented idly.

Snape threw a sharp look at him. "Are you saying that we should remove that portrait from that hallway?" Lucius nodded, lightly smirking. "If we do that, where will we hide his portrait? I'm sure Dumbledore would have a fit if he saw the portrait."

"Your quarters are well protected. The old coot wouldn't be able to enter without your permission," Lucius pointed out.

"Fine, but Potter has to lead the way," Snape sighed.

"I'll join you as well," Lucius offered.

"I guess two adults are enough. Remmy and I will send a reply to Molly." Sirius smirked viciously.

"I'll go with you," Draco hurriedly said to Harry.

They said their goodbyes to Sirius and Remus and together with Harry's pets, they left Remus' quarters.

" _Garin, Salazar Slytherin said that you could help me find him. Will you help me?_ " Harry hissed.

" _Of course, Master Harry,_ " Garin hissed back and slithered down. " _Follow me, please._ "

"Come on, Garin will lead us the way," Harry explained and followed his snake.

"Dear Merlin, we are following a snake to find Slytherin's portrait," Snape muttered. Lucius smirked.

Eventually, Garin led them into the abandoned hallway Harry recognized.

"Harry, I see you brought some people with you."

Everyone, except Harry, startled when they heard a smooth voice drawling.

Harry smiled and approached the portrait. "Yes, I hope you don't mind."

Salazar snorted. "As long as I don't have to see Dumbles' face, I'm fine."

Draco snickered at the nickname for Dumbledore.

"Now why don't you introduce me to your friends?" Salazar smiled.

After the introductions were done – Salazar was delighted to hear they were from his House – Harry explained why he had brought the others with him.

"Finally, I get to see more than some desks and chairs!" Salazar chuckled and rubbed in his hands.

Lucius and Snape carefully picked up the painting and Harry asked, "Don't you need to call Layla?"

"No need. Layla will find me wherever I am," Salazar smirked.

Harry nodded and brought Garin to his neck. He and Draco led the way to Snape's quarters, all the while checking whether somebody saw them.

Snape muttered the password and somehow they managed to hang the portrait up on the wall. Salazar walked around in his portrait to see if everything was still in place. His portrait hung now in Snape's private quarters, because nobody came in here without Snape's permission.

"Now this is much better," Salazar said satisfied.

"Boys, it's time you went back to your dorms. I'm sure the other Slytherins will be pleased to see you're still alive, Potter," Snape said dryly.

"I'll talk to you another time, Salazar," Harry smiled.

"I look forward to it," Salazar smirked. Ah, the things he could do now that he had contact with the wall. Maybe it was time he started to annoy old Dumbles again. He smirked and contemplated which painting he would visit next.

"Oh, and Potter? Our next meeting will take place next Saturday at two p.m. Don't be late," Snape warned him.

Harry groaned, but nodded. It wasn't as if he had a choice anyway.

"Come on, Harry, Slytherin has waited to have the party until you were out the hospital wing," Draco grinned and slung an arm around Harry's shoulder. "I'll see you later, father."

Lucius nodded and watched how his son dragged Harry away.

"Can you tell me the real reason why you are here?" Snape asked when they retreated to his small living room.

Lucius' face went grave. "It's about Voldemort."

Snape's eyes darkened. This wouldn't be a pleasant conversation.

* * *

"So, have I made you Slytherin enough to want to take revenge on Weasley?" Draco asked casually while they were making their way to their dorms.

Suddenly a smirk appeared on Harry's face. "I have an idea."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Do tell."

"Well, I was thinking about…"

By the time Harry was done explaining his idea, an evil glint had appeared in Draco's eyes and he was enjoying the mental image it had brought in his mind. Oh yes, this was certainly a revenge worth of a Slytherin.

* * *

The next morning when they bumped into a smirking Ron on their way to their table for breakfast, the only reaction he received from Harry was a shown middle finger.

But the most pleasant part of the morning was when Snape told Ron in a clear voice what his punishment was, he had to mow the Quidditch field without magic and without any help and he had to clean all the brooms with his bare hands. When he was done with that, he had detention with Snape for four nights. Ron had never been so red as then. When he and Hermione glared at Harry, he only smirked and waved. If Ron wanted to play dirty, then he would have to prepare himself. After all Harry was the godson and the son of the Marauders. He still had a prank to play on Ron.

Together with the help of Remus, Sirius and Snape, he had constructed a prank based on Ron's fear of spiders added with a dose of humiliation.

Harry had explained a part of his plan to Snape when he went to visit Salazar on Tuesday and surprisingly Snape was willing to help. Together with Snape's and Draco's help, Harry made a potion that would attract spiders. Blaise, who was more than willing to help, would spill it on Ron with the next Potions lesson.

The last part of his plan, he developed with the help of Sirius and Remus, who were very eager to help their godson get revenge. It was a spell that the Marauders had created. When cast on the victim, it would create an illusion. Other people would see the victim naked or dressed in ridiculous clothes – all without the knowledge of the victim of course. The only thing he would see, were his own clothes. The spell lasted for two days.

That Thursday, Harry casted the spell on Ron when he was behind him in a hallway and Blaise managed to spill a bit of the potion on Ron while they had Potions. Harry thought he would crack a rib from all his laughter when he saw the result of his prank. Not only was Ron running around in panic, because there were spiders trailing him, but the whole school could see him naked or dressed in a clown's costume. Ron didn't have one clue as to why he suddenly was attracting spiders or why the whole school was laughing at him. The Slytherins however congratulated Harry on his prank and Snape and Remus even gave him points.

* * *

However Harry dreaded Saturday. He had kind of hoped that Snape had forgotten about talking. Draco dropped him off at Snape's quarters with the promise he would go flying with Harry after he had talked with Snape.

With a sigh, Harry knocked on the door.

"Enter."

Harry walked into the private quarters of Snape, but stopped when he saw Remus sitting there on the couch with Snape in another chair.

"I'm sorry I interrupted your conversation. I can come back later" Harry said hastily, taking his chance to escape. When he turned around to escape, Snape closed the door with a wave of his wand.

"You didn't interrupt anything. The wolf is here for your benefit," Snape smirked.

"You enjoy torturing me under the pretense of helping me, don't you?" Harry muttered darkly and crossed his arms.

"I want to help you, cub, but if I don't know what the Dursleys did to you, then I can't help you," Remus soothed and then patted the place next to him on the couch.

"Where is Sirius?" Harry asked, still standing.

"He stayed back to correct homework, but he promised to be here the next time," Remus replied.

"Who says there is going to be a next time?" Harry mumbled.

"I say. I know that one time isn't enough to discuss all your problems. Now sit down next to the wolf and start talking before I force Veritaserum down your throat," Snape answered calmly.

Harry scowled, but complied.

"What do I have to talk about?" Harry said with a resigned face.

"Your school time before you went to Hogwarts. Or something else. As long as you start talking," Snape said and leaned back in his chair.

Harry bit on his lip, but started talking about his life in school. He didn't look Remus or Snape in the eyes while he talked about the fact that his aunt only had sent him to school, because the neighbours had been pestering her about that; how he had to make most of Dudley's homework so that his cousin had more free time to play; the fact that he never had any friends in school, because Dudley had made it quite clear that everyone associating with the 'freak' would be punished…

After a while, he somehow ended up cuddled against Remus' side while Remus was rubbing his shoulder and back. Eventually he didn't have more to tell them and just laid his head on Remus' shoulder. He startled when a mug with hot chocolate milk appeared in his sight.

"Take it," Snape ordered him gently.

Harry nodded and accepted the mug.

"I know this must have been hard for you, but you will understand that this will be better for you in the long run. Now, what do you say of having a conversation like this one, every week around this hour on Saturday?" Snape asked for once in a soft voice.

If Harry hadn't been so tired from reliving his memories he would have been freaked out by the gentleness of Snape. The only thing he did was nodding.

"All right, you can go now. I'm sure Draco is waiting for you," Remus smiled.

Harry nodded and walked out of the room.

"Somehow I get the feeling this wasn't the worst thing those Muggles did to him," Snape muttered when Harry was gone.

Remus sighed. "I have that feeling too. I suppose we will hear it in the next weeks."

* * *

The weeks went by. Harry went to Snape every Saturday to talk about his life with the Dursleys with the support of Sirius and Remus.

When they visited Hogsmeade, Harry found the perfect Christmas presents for his family. Of course this included Draco – and after hesitating Lucius and even Snape (the man did an effort to help him and was actually pleasant towards him now) – too.

Harry would spend the first few days of the Christmas holiday alone with Remus and Sirius in a house near the edge of London. Afterwards Draco would join him, together with Lucius and Snape. Harry suspected Snape was somehow threatened by the Malfoys. He just hoped he had bought the right gifts for them.

Eventually it was time for the students to go home for the holidays. Harry was very excited, because this was the first time he would spend his holiday elsewhere instead of staying in Hogwarts. They took the train back to platform three quarters. Both boys gave each other a hug when they departed with their family.

"I see you in a few days, Harry," Draco whispered in Harry's ear.

Harry shivered when Draco's hot breath caressed his ear and was grateful for the strong wind that masked his blush. "Yeah, see you then."

Sirius Apparated with Harry to their home with Remus following behind him. It was the house James had given to Remus. It looked small on the outside, but the inside was magically enlarged, so that there would be enough rooms to house everyone. The first night was spent building the Christmas tree and decorating the whole house.

Harry was so tired that he had expected to fall asleep immediately, but instead of that he was wide awake. It was irritating that he was still thinking about his kiss with Draco. Why couldn't he let go of that one? And why was he so disappointed when Draco suggested he could forget their kiss? Harry retreated to the living room and sat in front of the fire, thinking about Draco and why he couldn't stop thinking about him. Harry blushed when he remembered their kiss and the many hugs he had received. Why did those feel so good?

The sun had just risen up in the sky, colouring the sky rose when it suddenly dawned on Harry why he couldn't let go of that kiss. Why he felt so good with Draco.

Remus found Harry sitting in the couch with wide eyes and a shocked face.

"Harry, cub, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

Harry couldn't answer. He now understood why he couldn't stop thinking about Draco.

He was in love with Draco.


	22. Butterfly kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: I don't think you will mind this chapter, considering this is what you have been waiting for the last 21 chapters LOL, in other words: kissing!; insecure Harry and gore stuff, as in dead bodies and blood. If you don't want to read the gore stuff, skip the text, though you may want to skip a bit of the article too ^^;
> 
> Also I do realize there are no butterflies in the winter, but it sounded beautiful :P
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 22: Butterfly kiss**

To say Harry was shocked beyond belief would be an understatement. How had this happened? Since when had he started to consider Draco more than a friend? Did it start with their kiss? Or had it happened before that? And what would happen now? Should he tell Draco about his feelings or should he keep quiet? After all, they were two boys. There was no way that Draco would like him back. Draco was handsome with his blond hair and grey eyes where you could get lost in and his amazing body while he … Well, aside from the fact he managed to survive Voldemort when he was a baby, there was nothing special about him. In spite of the potions Snape had forced down his throat, he was still shorter than most boys of his age; his black hair was untidy and resembled a bird's nest; his green eyes weren't that special … All in all, when it came down to looks, he and Draco weren't compatible.

This sucked. The one time he really was in love with someone (and not some silly crush like he had had with Cho), he didn't have a chance with said person. Why couldn't he have luck for once in his life? Why did everything have to be so difficult?

He almost jumped five feet in the air when he felt two furry, soft heads butting against his hands and something long and slender wrapping around his waist while a warm hand touched his shoulder. He whipped his head around and stared wide eyed at Remus.

"Remus! You're up!" he exclaimed surprised. He realized Ruby, Sapphire and Garin were hugging him.

Remus looked concerned. "Harry, is something wrong? When did you get up?"

"A little while ago. I couldn't sleep," Harry admitted and stretched.

"Did you have a nightmare?" Remus asked worriedly.

"No, just a lot of things on my mind," Harry mumbled.

"Want to talk about it?"

Harry looked at Remus, hesitating. Remus would be the perfect person to talk about his discovery; after all, he had fallen in love with his best friend too. Remus would understand his feelings and could give him advice. Harry opened his mouth, but closed it again after a moment. No. He wasn't ready yet to talk about his feelings for Draco with Remus. He was still shocked about it; it would probably be better to wait with talking to Remus after he was over his shock.

"Maybe later," Harry replied softly.

Remus smiled gently. "All right."

"Moony, can you make pancakes? With chocolate? I want chocolate pancakes," Sirius' voice whined.

Harry and Remus chuckled. Sirius had appeared in the doorway, still half asleep, clad in a T-shirt and boxers.

"It's times like these that I wonder who's the adult and who's the kid," Remus said, smiling.

Sirius stuck out his tongue.

"Are chocolate pancakes good for you too, Harry?" Remus asked and headed towards the kitchen.

"Yeah, sounds good," Harry answered.

Sirius plopped down next to him, being careful not to sit down on Harry's pets.

"With a bit of luck, we'll be able to have a snow fight in the afternoon," Sirius grinned and ruffled Harry's hair.

Harry looked through the window and noted surprised that it had started to snow.

"Sounds fun," Harry smiled.

"So, Harry, what's my present?" Sirius asked excitedly and rubbed his hands.

Harry shook his head laughing. "No way! I'm not telling you! You have to wait for Christmas!"

Sirius scowled and crossed his arms, looking like a child that had been denied his presents. "I will find my present," he warned him.

Harry grinned. "You can try, but I hid it well."

"Sirius, stop pestering Harry about your present and come eat your pancakes, you impatient dog." Remus appeared in the kitchen doorway, the smell of pancakes and sweet chocolate waving through the air and into their nostrils. "You too, cub. Pancakes are ready."

"Have I told you I love you, Remus?" Sirius grinned and after kissing Remus on the mouth, he almost skipped into the kitchen.

Remus rolled his eyes. "Go eat, you stupid dog," he said, but he smiled lovingly.

Harry chuckled and picked up Sapphire, before joining his godparents at the kitchen table.

* * *

They did end up playing in the snow in the afternoon. Garin and Sapphire stayed inside, curling up in front of the fireplace, but Ruby had followed Harry outside. The garden was fairly big and ended at the beginning of the forest. There was plenty room to hold a snow fight.

Originally, the snow fight had been between Harry and Sirius – though Sirius swore Ruby was siding with Harry and helping him – but Remus had decided to assist Harry in beating Sirius and after three hours, they won their fight, though Sirius claimed he had let them win.

* * *

Two days later, Harry had assembled all his courage to talk with Remus. Tomorrow, Draco, Lucius and Snape would arrive to spend the remaining vacation days with them. It would be best if he spoke with Remus now before Draco arrived.

Sirius had gone out to buy groceries and Harry took this chance to speak with Remus.

He found Remus in the study room, reading a book. Sapphire and Ruby were sleeping in front of the fireplace and Garin was curled up in Harry's bed.

Remus looked up when the door opened and closed again. He smiled when he saw Harry standing in front of the desk.

"Harry, is something wrong?" he asked and closed his book.

"I have a theoretical question," Harry started and cleared his throat.

"Theoretically?"

"Yes. Say, hypothetically, I have a crush on one of my friends and he's a boy. What do you think I should do, theoretically spoken?" Harry asked, hoping he wasn't blushing.

Remus looked at him amused. So this was what had been bothering his cub. He had a crush on a boy. Remus couldn't help but thinking it was cute. "Do I know this boy?"

"No! I said it was a theoretical question." Harry crossed his arms.

Remus chuckled. "All right. Well, theoretically, I would advise you to just go for it. Just go up to that boy and kiss him. That will get your message across."

"That's a rather Gryffindor way to let him know," Harry muttered and frowned.

Remus' amber coloured eyes sparkled. "So it's a Slytherin? Who is it?" he asked rather eagerly.

"I said it was theoretical!" Harry exclaimed, his cheeks gaining a red tint.

"Of course it's theoretical," Remus smirked and supported his head with his hand.

Harry glared. "This conversation never happened."

"It's erased from my memory," Remus chuckled.

Harry huffed, but retreated in his room to read. He just had to trust Remus not to babble to Sirius. If Sirius heard the topic of his conversation with Remus, he wouldn't hear the end of it. His godfather was known for his teasing.

Harry tried to concentrate on his book, but couldn't help but ponder on the advice Remus had given him. _'Just go up to him and kiss him'._ Would it be that simple? If he just walked up to Draco and kissed him on the mouth, would Draco react? Or would he be too disgusted? Harry bit on his lip. He may be for a big part a Gryffindor, but he wasn't sure if he had the courage to just kiss Draco like that. If Draco reacted wrong, he could lose his friendship with the blond boy. He didn't want to risk that. But he also wanted to know if he could have a chance with Draco.

"Harry! Dinner is ready!" Sirius sang and popped his head in the room.

"AAAHHH!" Harry yelped and was so startled he fell off his bed, landing on his back. Groaning, he hosted himself up until he sat up, Sirius looking at him with twitching lips.

"Are you all right? Sorry for startling you, but I did knock." Sirius bit on his lip; not because he felt sorry for startling his godson, but because he was trying to hold his laughter back.

Harry stood up and glared. "If you dare to laugh, I'm going to tell Remus you ate all the cookies yesterday."

Sirius immediately sobered up. "You wouldn't dare." He narrowed his eyes.

"Try me," Harry smirked and ducked underneath Sirius' arm to leave his room.

"I don't think you hanging around with Slytherins is a good thing," Sirius grumbled.

Harry chuckled in response and entered the kitchen. He understood now why Slytherins were so fond of blackmail.

* * *

The following afternoon, Harry was waiting nervously for Draco, Lucius and Snape, leaning against the wall. Tonight they would have a big dinner, but the presents had to wait until tomorrow to open them – Sirius had gotten smacked on his head by Remus when he had whined about that.

His head shot up when he heard the doorbell rang and Remus opened the door.

"Good afternoon, Draco, Lucius, Severus," Remus greeted them.

Sirius leaned against the kitchen doorframe.

"Good afternoon, Remus," Lucius greeted back and Harry heard clothes rustling. He assumed they were hanging up their coats.

"Hello professor." Harry took a deep breath when he heard Draco's voice.

"You can call me Remus, Draco. We're not in Hogwarts now," Remus chuckled.

"If you insist."

Dear Merlin, how was he supposed to act around Draco now he realized his feelings? What if he started blushing or stuttering? That would be so humiliating! Maybe he should fake an illness and claim that no one could come near him. Yes, that would be a good idea – except that Snape would probably force some healing potions down his throat. That ruled out feigning an illness.

"Potter, if you keep standing there, you might turn into a statue." The dry voice of Snape broke through his thoughts and he nearly jumped three feet in the air.

"Professor, I didn't hear you," Harry apologized.

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Apparently."

Suddenly, a blond blur hugged him tightly, filling his nose with the scent of lavender.

"Harry, I'm glad to see you again! You don't know how boring it was to spend all your time with two adults who were always talking about potions!" Draco whined, pressing his hard body unconsciously tighter to Harry's.

"I thought you liked potions?" Harry asked, trying to concentrate on the conversation, instead of the feeling of Draco's body against his.

"Yes, but not for talking about it all that time," Draco protested, dropping his head on Harry's shoulder, not knowing how uncomfortable Harry was getting.

"There, there, you're here now," Harry soothed, smiling and patted Draco's back. He felt eyes staring at him and when he looked up, he saw Remus with a raised eyebrow and a knowing smile on his face. Harry felt his face redden and he slipped out of Draco's hug. Remus couldn't know, could he? But he wasn't stupid either. Damn it.

"Well, unfortunately, there are only four bedrooms, so Draco, you'll have to sleep with Harry in his room," Sirius announced, not realizing his words could be understood in a wrong way.

Harry's face reddened more at the double meaning and he missed Draco's smirk.

_I won't mind sleeping with Harry,_ Draco thought gleefully.

"You can dump your stuff in Harry's room. I already conjured up a bed for you," Sirius continued. For someone so perverted, he could be really thick sometimes.

"Thanks. Harry, you're going to help me?" Draco asked, grabbing the first of the two suitcases he brought with him.

"Okay," Harry smiled and grabbed the other one. "Why did you bring two suitcases?"

"For my clothes of course," Draco huffed, entering Harry's room. Sirius had placed his bed next to Harry's with a nightstand between it.

"So, did you have a nice time with your godfather and Lupin?" Draco asked, taking a pile of clothes and placing it in Harry's wardrobe.

Harry sat down on his bed, feeling uncomfortable with Draco near him. Why did he have to realize his feelings now? Why couldn't he have stayed oblivious until after the holidays? He had a better chance at avoiding Draco in school, than here, where he would be with Draco twenty – four hours long and that for the rest of the holiday. Already he could feel a blush coming up every time Draco said something. Damn it, he was not some silly girl!

"Yeah, Remus helped me with my homework and helped me with the snow fight against Sirius." Harry chuckled at the memory.

"We can have a snow fight after I'm done here. I can't wait to kick your arse," Draco smirked.

"You wish." Harry smirked back.

"Say, Harry, where are your pets?" Draco asked after realizing they weren't near Harry.

"Garin is sleeping next to my pillow and Sapphire and Ruby are sleeping in front of the fireplace. Hedwig is still in the school," Harry replied absently, playing with a loose string of his sheets.

Draco frowned when he noticed the distant look in Harry's eyes. He walked over to Harry and clapped his hands. "Harry, is something wrong?"

Harry blinked and was startled to see Draco so close to him. He stood up and walked to the door. "Yeah, everything's fine. You're done here?"

Draco looked at him suspiciously, but shook his head and smiled. "Yes, I'm done here. Let's go outside."

They had just put on their coats when Remus came out of the living room.

"Where are you two going?" he asked curiously.

"We're going to the garden where we'll hold a snow fight," Harry answered and pulled on his gloves.

"And where I'll win," Draco added, smirking.

"As if," Harry scoffed.

"All right, have fun. Dinner starts at seven," Remus informed them.

The two boys nodded and then disappeared in the garden.

Remus shook his head fondly and went back to the living room. _If my suspicion is right, then Harry has a crush on Draco. He had good taste, I have to give him that_ , Remus thought chuckling and sat down next to Sirius.

"Why are you chuckling?" Sirius asked surprised.

"Oh nothing; just a private joke," Remus smiled and lightly squeezed his hand.

* * *

Draco had to admit Harry was skilled in snow fights. They had been in the garden for more than an hour now and he had only managed to hit Harry four times with a snowball. He had been hit seven times. At the moment, he was searching for Harry in the big garden. He was hiding behind a tree and peeking through the branches to see if he could locate Harry. After five minutes, he decided to hide in a better spot - in the doorway. When he was convinced Harry wasn't near him, he made a dash to the doorway – only to be tackled down on his back by a grinning Harry who had showed up from nowhere. Harry sat on his hips and hit him square in the chest with a snowball.

"Gotcha," Harry smirked and leaned closer to Draco, his gloved hands resting on the snow, next to Draco's head.

Draco chuckled. "Okay, okay, I admit defeat."

"Good," Harry smiled. His breath came out as white puff in the cold air.

A strange silence fell over them as they looked at each other. It was getting late and the sun setting made a glow appear around Harry, reminding Draco of an angel. He was so beautiful…

Meanwhile Harry was losing himself in Draco's grey eyes that were looking softly back at him. His stomach was full of butterflies when he remembered Remus' advice. He would never get a more perfect moment than this. Harry gathered all his courage and brought his face close to Draco's.

_Remus better be right about this,_ Harry thought nervously. He took a deep breath and softly pressed his lips on Draco's soft mouth while closing his eyes. He hesitatingly pressed his lips harder on Draco's, feeling small, electric like shocks going through his body and making him dizzy. So this was how a real kiss was supposed to be; soft, electrifying, amazing and being able to set his body on fire.

Harry was about to pull back and offer his apologies to the stunned boy underneath him and then hide in his bed out of shame when after a moment Draco hadn't kissed back, when Draco suddenly held his neck and stared at him.

"I'm so sorry, Draco! I – I … Merlin, I messed this one up! I just thought that you … never mind. Let's pretend this never happened, okay?" Harry babbled nervously, but he was silenced when Draco clapped a hand over his mouth.

"I don't want to pretend this never happened, because this is what I wanted for more than a year now. I like you, Harry, I like you a lot. Do you like me?" Draco asked breathlessly.

Harry nodded hesitatingly, his eyes wide at hearing Draco's confession.

"Glad to know that," Draco whispered, enormously happy and removed his hand to press his lips against Harry's for a more heated kiss. Their breaths mingled when they explored each other's mouths with their lips.

Harry gasped surprised when Draco rolled him over so that Harry was now lying on his back with Draco on top of him, lying between his legs, their hips and chests pressed together. Draco took advantage of Harry's gasp and slid his tongue past Harry's lips and stroked Harry's tongue, his hands gripping Harry's waist. Harry moaned softly when he felt Draco's tongue touching his, sending shivers up his spine and laid his arms around Draco's neck, pulling him closer. He vaguely thought he should thank Remus for his advice before his attention was completely directed at the boy on him when he bit softly on his lower lip, receiving a mewl in response.

A lonely butterfly fluttered over them, his wings glistering in the soft sunlight.

* * *

Snape walked towards Lucius, who stood by the window, smirking at something he saw. When Snape looked, his eyebrow rose when he saw his godson kissing Potter while lying on top of him. Tss, he should have seen that one coming, considering he had seen firsthand how possessive and obsessed Draco was with Potter.

"Ah, they remind me of us when we were younger," Lucius sighed and took a sip from his Firewhiskey.

Snape snorted. "Are you really comparing me to Potter? How insulting."

"Now, now, I know you secretly started to like the boy, Severus. You don't have to hide that. Besides, as of tonight he'll stay permanently in your life, because he's now together with our Dragon," Lucius smiled. He was happy for his son. Harry was a beautiful and sweet boy. Not to forget, interesting as well. No wonder he had caught Draco's attention.

"They can split up, you know," Snape commented dryly.

"No, they won't. Once someone or something is in a Malfoy's possession, we won't ever let go." Lucius leered at him. "You should know that very well."

Snape rolled his eyes. Yes, he did know that fact very well; they were twenty years later and Lucius still managed to dazzle him with his eyes and smooth, alluring voice like when they were students – not that he would ever admit that. No need to fuel Lucius' ego.

A few minutes later, Draco and Harry walked into the living room, both blushing and smiling.

Sirius walked out of the kitchen, drying his hands with a towel. He had helped Remus with the dishes before he was forced out of the kitchen by his boyfriend, because he couldn't keep his hands to himself. Hey, it wasn't his fault his boyfriend was smoking hot. He would get what he wanted tonight.

"And boys, did you have fun?" Sirius asked smiling and started to levitate the plates and glasses on the dining table.

Draco snickered when he thought back on what they exactly had done. Oh yes, he had had fun and he couldn't be happier than he was now. Harry had returned his feelings and he had kissed him first! He finally had gotten what he wanted!

Harry elbowed him in his side, threw him a warning glare and replied, "Yeah, we had fun. I won with the snow fight." He smirked satisfied.

Draco snorted. "You cheated."

"You're a sore loser, Draco," Harry grinned.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

Before they could go further with their argument, Remus appeared in the doorway. "Dinner is ready."

Snape sighed, but took his seat between Lucius and Remus. How the Malfoys had managed to persuade him to come along, he would never know.

Aside from Lucius and Snape (who only knew it, because they had seen it – not that the boys were aware of that) Remus was the only one who saw the change between his cub and Draco. They weren't kissing or overly touchy with each other, but Remus' sharp eyes caught the light caress Draco gave to Harry's hand and the small smile Harry gave the blond. Remus smiled inwardly; so his cub had taken his advice after all. He wondered when they would officially tell everyone they were together. He figured they would want to wait for a while, because it was obviously new to them both. No matter, he was still happy for Harry. Harry needed someone besides him and Sirius to depend on. But if Draco dared to hurt his cub, he would break every single bone in his body.

Remus caught Harry's eyes and smiled. Harry blushed when he understood the meaning of Remus' smile, but smiled back and mouthed 'Thanks for the advice'.

Remus winked and mouthed back 'No need to thank me'.

The rest of the evening was spent talking, or in the case of Sirius and Snape arguing while Draco and Harry played Exploding Snap. When the clock struck eleven, they decided that it was time to go to sleep. They all prepared themselves to go to sleep, so no one noticed the mischievous grin Sirius sported when he hung something up in the kitchen doorway.

Draco pressed a sweet, tender kiss on Harry's lips before whispering, "Goodnight, Harry."

"Goodnight, Dray," Harry whispered back smiling. He heard Draco stepping into the bed next to him and fell asleep with a soft smile on his face. Maybe he did have luck once in a while.

* * *

_He was in a room. The only light came from three candles, but it was enough to illuminate the horror chamber._

_Blood._

_There was blood everywhere; it was splattered on the walls, the floor, the ceiling … The whole room was coated in it. It was dripping off the walls, from the ceiling, forming puddles on the floor._

_And bodies. There were bodies scattered everywhere in the room. Women, men, children … Ten in all._

_One woman was still moving; her breathing was shallow, her skin was a sickly pale and she was crying. Her eyes widened when she saw silver flashing in the candle light and she screamed terrified._

_A flash of silver._

_The screaming stopped._

* * *

Harry shot up in his bed, sweat making his pyjamas cling to his body, his heart beating fast and his breathing harsh and loud. What in the hell had that been? Had it been a vision or just a terrible nightmare? He tried to remember whether he saw someone familiar, but the details of his dream were fading away.

He sighed softly and grimaced at the foul taste in his mouth. He needed a glass of water.

The floor made a cracking sound when he stepped on it and he heard the rustle of sheets before Draco's sleepy voice asked, "Harry, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to get a glass of water. Go back to sleep," Harry whispered and opened his door.

"Hm."

Harry felt his way in the dark to the kitchen and tried not to stumble too much. He didn't have to be afraid to step on his pets, because they were all sleeping in his room. When he walked into the kitchen, a weak, red sparkle appeared in the doorway before it vanished.

When Harry was done drinking, he placed the glass on the counter and made his way back to his room. Well, that was the plan until he walked through the doorway. He couldn't walk forward anymore; it was as if his feet were glued to the floor.

"What the …" Harry whispered and jerked his leg. His hand caught the doorpost when he fell forward. What was wrong? Why couldn't he move his feet?

He looked up and narrowed his eyes to see in the dark. After a few seconds, he could vaguely see the outlines of … mistletoe. Harry groaned miserably. He had a feeling that the mistletoe had something to do with his inability to move. When he discovered who had hung up the mistletoe he would strangle that person. Now that he thought about that; the only person who could have done this was Sirius. He growled softly. He would get his godfather back for this. He figured he would have to stay here all night until someone released him.

Harry just hoped it wouldn't be Snape.

* * *

Draco frowned when after half an hour Harry still hadn't returned back. Why did it take him so long to drink some water? Draco huffed and stepped out of his own bed. He shivered slightly when his feet touched the cold floor and he padded out of the room. When he neared the kitchen, he saw the outlines of Harry's body leaning against the doorpost.

He stopped in front of Harry, who opened his eyes. "Harry, what on earth are you doing here? Why are you not in bed?" he asked and raised an eyebrow.

Harry sighed and ranked a hand through his hair. "My dear godfather decided it would be fun to hang up mistletoe that won't let you leave until you have been kissed," he answered annoyed.

Draco smirked. "You're lucky I'm here now," he murmured and sneaked his arms around Harry's waist. He bent down and caught Harry's lips with his.

Harry sighed contently and opened his mouth when Draco teased his lips with his tongue while he laid his arms around Draco's neck. Lazily Draco stroked Harry's tongue with his and his hands wandered over Harry's back. Harry mewled softly when he felt Draco softly nibbling on his lower lip. Harry nipped Draco's upper lip and didn't notice that his feet were freed of the mistletoe spell. He could get used to these wonderful kisses.

Eventually they broke apart when the need to breathe couldn't be ignored any longer.

"Let's get back to our beds, okay?" Draco suggested breathlessly. He looked smugly at Harry's dazed look and swollen lips.

Harry nodded, panting a bit and they walked back to their room.

"Do you mind if I sleep with you in your bed? Just sleeping, I promised not to do anything else," Draco murmured in Harry's ear, enjoying the feeling of Harry's body against his. He paused. "Unless you want me to."

Harry felt his face redden at Draco's words and he swallowed with difficulty. "No, I don't mind if we sleep together," he mumbled and slid into his bed.

Draco smiled and slid next to Harry, tugging the sheets securely around them before pulling Harry in his arms.

"Goodnight Draco," Harry whispered sleepily in Draco's chest.

"Goodnight Harry," Draco murmured back.

* * *

They woke up the next morning due to hearing a rather colourful string of words of Snape who was trapped in the mistletoe spell. Apparently someone kissed him, because he was seated at the table scowling, next to a smirking Lucius and a pouting Sirius when the boys entered the kitchen. Draco had a feeling he knew who had kissed Snape. The mistletoe had disappeared mysteriously.

That evening, after dinner, it was time to open the presents. They were all seated in front of the fire; Garin curled up in Harry's neck and Sapphire and Ruby were lying at Harry's feet.

Harry, Sirius and Remus had bought an expensive bottle of Elf wine for Lucius. Draco had bought his father a French book and Snape had given him a book too.

Snape received a box from Lucius that had him scowling and Lucius smirking. From Remus, Sirius and Draco he had gotten expensive potion ingredients and to his surprise he even received a rare potions book from Potter who had smiled at him meekly. He had wanted to buy this book for years, but his salary hold him back. Instead of saying his thanks he nodded to the boy, but Harry understood it.

Remus and Sirius had to swallow a lump in their throats when they received a statue of a wolf, a dog and a stag carved out of wood from Harry. They engulfed him in a big hug and whispered their thanks in his ear. From Lucius, Draco and Snape they had gotten tickets for a stay in a hotel in the Bahamas.

From his father Draco had received a Firebolt, from Snape a potions book, from Sirius and Remus sweets and from Harry he received a bracelet with a silver dragon carved into the emerald. He hugged Harry and discreetly kissed him in his neck.

Harry received from Lucius a box of sweets, from Sirius and Remus their book filled with their pranks. They told him his father would have wanted him to have it. From Draco he received a bracelet with a golden lion and silver snake intertwined. He laughed at the coincidence and hugged Draco, pressing a secret kiss in his neck. Harry was shocked when he received a present from Snape. Bewildered he opened it and he had to hold tears back when he saw that it was a photo album filled with photos of his mother. He had only received an album of the Marauders and from his parents together, but not of his mother alone.

"I figured you would want to see your mother more," Snape replied abruptly when he saw the questioning look of the others in the room.

To their surprise, Harry stood up and hugged his professor, whispering a thanks in the man's ear. Snape nodded and patted Harry awkwardly on the back before pushing him off gently, ignoring the knowing smirk on Lucius' face.

Blaise had sent a present for Harry and Draco both and when they opened it to look in the box, they went bright red. Blaise had sent them five tubes of lube and a book with sex positions and a card that stated this would come in handy for them when Draco finally had enough guts to ask Harry out.

"What did Blaise sent, Dragon?" Lucius asked curiously when they immediately closed the box again.

"Nothing special. He's just an idiot. I'll kill him when we're back in school," Draco growled and Harry smacked his hand for his eyes. Could it get more embarrassing?

All in all, they went to bed with a happy feeling.

* * *

Of course, Harry should have known that happiness couldn't last forever. When he woke up the next morning and entered the kitchen as the first one, an owl was waiting to deliver the newspaper.

Harry paid him and sent him back off with an owl treat. However when he saw the first page of the paper, he went pale and he had to sit down.

**You – Know – Who back in action!**

_Last night, two Aurors who were coming back from their mission discovered ten bodies lying in an alley near the Ministry. They immediately alerted the other Aurors and the Minister. After looking at the bodies, it was discovered that each body (women, men and children) had a message on them for our Saviour, Harry Potter!_

_After puzzling, the Aurors could read the message. On each body was a parchment with one word. When the words were placed in the right order, it read, "Happy Christmas, Potter. Are you prepared for our annual fight?"_

_This is clearly a challenge for our Saviour!_

_It is not known why and when the bodies were dumped near the Ministry, but it is clear that You – Know – Who is challenging Harry Potter! Will Harry Potter react to this message? As of now, we haven't been able to get in touch with Mister Potter, but rest assured, this journalist will spit everything out!_

_The bodies were heavily mutilated; some were missing limbs, some were lying with their intestines out of their stomach; faces were so carved up, the Aurors have difficulties identifying them… It is pure horror._

_We can only hope that Mister Potter will finally defeat You – Know – Who as soon as possible, because we don't want another drama like this happening._

_For more information on Harry Potter's encounters with You – Know – Who, page 4 – 5._

Underneath the article, there were pictures of the scene. They even showed the bodies and Harry had to run to the bathroom to throw up when he saw the mutilated bodies. He had known his peace couldn't last forever. It was time to leave the safe, almost dream like world he had lived in for the past months and get serious.

* * *

Sirius sighed when he saw the headlines and heard his godson throwing up. He really hadn't wanted to have Harry see this. Well, it looked like Voldemort was getting serious.


	23. Innocent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: kissing, touching (nothing explicit) and some violence
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 23: Innocent**

When Draco woke up, he reached out with his hand to feel for Harry and frowned when he felt the empty space next to him. He sat up and scanned the room. No Harry. He sighed and stepped out of bed. If Harry was awake, he didn't see why he would sleep in longer. He yawned and padded out of the room into the kitchen.

Draco raised an eyebrow when he only saw Sirius sitting at the kitchen table, reading his newspaper.

"Eh, where's Harry?" Draco asked curiously.

Sirius looked up. "He's in the bathroom."

Draco walked to the bathroom door and knocked on it. "Harry?" He grew concerned when he heard the sounds of someone throwing up. "Harry, what's wrong?"

"Just let him. He will come out when he's done," Sirius commented absentmindedly.

Draco walked back to him. "Is Harry sick?"

"Why do you think that?" Sirius asked surprised.

"Oh, I don't know … Maybe because he's puking his guts out?" Draco replied sarcastically.

"He got sick when he read this article; not that I can blame him," Sirius commented idly. His mind wasn't with the conversation; he was worrying about what Voldemort would do next.

"Article?" Draco inquired. Sirius gave him the article and Draco grimaced when he read it and saw the pictures. "This is just horrible."

"Hm," Harry muttered when he came out of the bathroom. Sirius patted his back and gave him a glass of water. "Thanks."

"What's the matter?" Remus asked when he saw the pale faces of his boyfriend and the two boys. Without responding, Draco gave him the newspaper.

"So he has begun," Lucius remarked idly. Snape appeared next to Lucius and nodded grimly.

"Did you know he was planning this?" Sirius asked and leaned against the kitchen counter with his arms crossed.

Snape shook his head. "No. He hasn't called us for many meetings. I suspect … he doesn't trust us anymore. Proof of that is the fact he didn't tell us his plan for this."

"Then it will be dangerous for you two if he calls you again," Draco said and shivered when he thought about the things Voldemort could do to his father and godfather.

Harry gave his hand a discreet squeeze.

"Probably," Lucius admitted.

"Dumbledore will probably hold a meeting after this," Remus muttered.

Just then, two owls – a black one and a brown one – pecked on the window.

"Speak of the devil," Sirius muttered underneath his breath when he recognized Dumbledore's black owl. Remus released the owl from his burden, while the brown owl flew to Harry; it was a letter from the Weasley twins.

"Dumbledore says we have to go to the headquarters immediately. It's urgent," Remus announced after reading the letter.

The four adults looked at each other before looking at the two teenagers.

"You can go; it's all right. Draco and I can stay here," Harry assured them.

"You're sure?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah, we'll be fine," Harry smiled.

Draco nodded.

"Fine, we'll be back as soon as possible," Sirius promised.

After casting some shields and spells for extra protection, the four adults made their way out of the anti Apparation wards.

* * *

"Who sent you that letter?" Draco asked, after they had had breakfast and had settled themselves on Harry's bed, leaning against the wall.

"From the Weasley twins," Harry answered absentmindedly and opened the letter. A small package fell on the bed. The moment it touched the sheets, it magically enlarged. Inside there were various packages that all contained the new pranks of the twins.

_Hiya Harry!_

_First of all, Merry Christmas! We wish you all the positive things there exist in the world!_

_How are you doing? We hope you're not too upset about Ronniekins and his new, brainy, nerdy girlfriend? Yes, you read correctly! Ronniekins has started dating Hermione! Unbelievable, right? Still, it's the truth. Although, we couldn't believe it either! Hermione Granger with our little, brainless brother – and here we thought she was the smart one!_

_Anyway, don't be too upset about what happened between you, Ronniekins and Hermione. We don't know what they told our family, but know that we, Fred, George, Charlie and Bill are fully supporting you! We don't approve of the things they tell everyone and you can be sure that we will bring a visit to your old House! From what we've heard, it appears that, sadly, Slytherin has proven to be better friends than the Gryffindors! We're ashamed to call ourselves Gryffindors._

_By the time the holidays are over, Ronniekins will have had a meeting with all our new pranks! After all, we have to make sure that our pranks are safe to sell, right? (insert evil laughter)_

_But, on a more serious note, do you remember the necklaces we gave you, last summer, little brother? Well, be sure to wear them when you and Draco are back in school. We're not sure, but we have suspicions that Hermione and Ron are working on some kind of potion. We haven't caught them yet, but just to be sure, wear those necklaces._

_Before we end our lovely, uplifting letter, be sure to congratulate Sirius and Remus on their reply to our dear mother's Howler (of which we don't approve either. Sadly, our mother is blind to the things her son does and says). We haven't enjoyed ourselves in such a long time until we heard their reply! They sure do have colourful language!_

_Don't hesitate to visit us; our door is always open for our little brother! Charlie and Bill send their greetings too! Also, send our greetings to the rest of your family and friends! Oh, and especially for your pets, we have put some nice, fancy collars in our package. And don't you dare to return them or buy something expensive for us in return! Stop complaining and enjoy our gifts! (insert winks)_

_Merry Christmas, Harry!_

_Gred and Forge_

_P.S. Look out for our visit in Hogwarts!_

Draco frowned. "Will Weasel and Know – It – All try to poison us? Are you sure they're Gryffindors?"

"I can't believe they would do that," Harry whispered incredulously, feeling more betrayed than ever before. "What have I done wrong to them?"

"You chose me and the other Slytherins over them," Draco replied simply and laid his arm around Harry's shoulders.

"That's because they gave me no other options!" Harry protested and folded the letter back up. He took out the three collars for his pets. They were made of black leather. The one for Garin had an emerald pendant in the shape of a 'g'. The one for Ruby had a ruby pendant in the shape of a 'r' and that of Sapphire was a sapphire pendant in the shape of a 's'.

Harry decided to put the collars around his pets' necks later on. For now, he placed them, together with his new pranks on his nightstand.

"We'll deal with them when the time comes," Draco muttered while placing little kisses on Harry's cheeks, his nose, and forehead and in his neck. Everywhere but his lips.

"If you want to kiss, then do it properly and kiss me on my mouth," Harry murmured, slightly annoyed. "Of are you just trying to make me forget about Ron and Hermione?"

"Smart and demanding, I like that," Draco grinned before pressing his lips against Harry's. His tongue licked Harry's lips, begging for entrance which was granted with a small mewl. Harry's hands slipped into Draco's hair while his tongue explored Draco's mouth. He tasted like strawberries, Harry absentmindedly noticed.

Draco deemed that he had given up enough dominance to Harry and playfully pushed Harry's tongue back in his mouth before doing a bit of exploring himself.

Eventually their kiss started to heat up. After breaking apart to breathe, they kissed each other harder, lips forcefully pushed together, tongues battling. Draco gave Harry a soft push that caused the other boy to fall on his back. Surprised, Harry opened his eyes to see Draco grinning.

"I think I like you the most in this position," he chuckled while softly pushing Harry's legs open to lie between them. His hands were resting on each side of Harry's head.

Harry rolled his eyes. "You pervert," he retorted, breathless from their kissing.

Draco chuckled again and caressed Harry from his side to his hip and back. "Oh, I'm sure you'll like it when I'm a pervert," he whispered in Harry's ear before latching his mouth on Harry's neck, sucking and biting lightly.

Harry moaned softly before suddenly realizing that only their thin pyjamas were separating their bodies. That thought caused him to blush fiercely.

Draco lifted his head to admire the hickey he had made in Harry's neck. _That's one. Where shall I put the next one?_ , he wondered, but his attention was caught by Harry's blush. He blinked. "Harry, why are you blushing?"

"I'm not blushing!" Harry protested, crossing his arms.

"No? Then what do you call it when your cheeks are red?" Draco teased him.

"Just shut up and kiss me again," Harry demanded, not really wanting to explain why his face was so red.

Draco laughed. "I never knew you were so demanding, Harry," he said, but proceeded to kiss him on his lips.

When his lips trailed back to Harry's neck, Harry suddenly frowned when he remembered the strange, tingling sensation Draco had created in his neck a few moments ago. He wondered what Draco had done … "Draco! Did you just give me a hickey?" he asked embarrassed. How was he supposed to cover that up?

"Yes, now shut up, I'm trying to decide where I should place the next one," Draco replied nonchalantly while staring at Harry's neck.

Harry's emerald green eyes widened. "Why would you do that?"

"To show that you're mine and that nobody has to try doing something funny with you," Draco replied calmly, not seeing the problem.

"You possessive bastard! Why would anyone try something with …" The rest of his sentence was swallowed up by Draco's mouth. He broke the kiss off. "I wasn't finished talking, jerk!"

"I know, but I think I can come up with better ways to spend our time alone than discussing the fact whether I am or am not possessive," Draco said smugly and latched onto Harry's collarbone, biting slightly. A sharp intake of breath was his answer.

_So he likes it when I bite him there_. Draco filed that discovery away to think about it later. _I wonder how many weak spots he has. I'm going to have so much fun discovering those._

Harry narrowed his eyes, but pulled Draco's head up to kiss him on his mouth. His hands were trailing over Draco's back and stomach. His hand lightly brushed against Draco's stomach and that earned him a sigh. Meanwhile Draco's hand was inching lower to Harry's waistband and after resting his hand there for a moment, he slowly snuck his hand under Harry's pyjama shirt, brushing over his bare stomach. A light shock went through Harry's body when he felt that warm hand caressing his bare skin and he trembled lightly. Merlin, that felt so good! They started to pant and Harry hesitantly slid his hand underneath Draco's shirt, stroking the soft skin he encountered.

Draco bit softly on Harry's lower lip when he felt Harry's hand touching his stomach and he couldn't suppress a moan when the hand slid up to his chest. His own hand was now caressing Harry's stomach more firmly and he pressed his body tighter against Harry's.

They were so engrossed in their own little world that consisted of kissing and exploring the other one's body, that they never heard the front door open or the footsteps coming to their room.

"Harry, pup, we're …" Sirius cut off his sentence when he saw what his godson was doing. His eyes widened when he saw Harry lying on his bed with Draco on top of him, kissing, moaning and touching each other. Their pyjama shirts had bunched up and it allowed Sirius to see where exactly Draco's hands were on Harry's body. Sirius was freaking out. He never expected to come home to see his godson screwing around with the younger Malfoy boy. So, his reaction was only normal. "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU TWO THINK YOU'RE DOING?" he yelled.

The two boys yelped and Harry pushed Draco off, causing the blond boy to land on his back on the floor. Both were crimson red.

"Sirius! What are you doing here?" Harry asked panicking and he scrambled to sit up. He had never been so embarrassed in his life. Could it get any worse? Yes, it could, because Sirius had now a perfect view of the love bite in Harry's neck and collarbone. Sirius went even redder.

Draco groaned and climbed back on the bed, sitting next to Harry, wincing when his sore back collided with the wall.

"Sirius, why are you yelling?" Remus asked, but stood abrupt still when he saw the red faced boys. He winced at the thought of what Sirius had seen. His eyebrow rose when he too noticed the love bites in Harry's neck and collarbone. _Those Malfoys are really fast in marking their possessions_ , Remus though vaguely amused.

"Mutt, for the love of god, stop yelling," Snape growled.

"Easy for you to say! You're not the one catching your godson screwing around with a Malfoy," Sirius growled back.

"Oh please, I don't think they were literally screwing around," Snape snorted. At least he hoped they weren't. He really had no desire to hear his godson fucking with Potter.

"How can you be so calm about it?" Sirius spluttered.

Meanwhile, Harry was trying to cover up the hickey in his neck and trying to figure out how he would explain this.

"How long has this been going on?" Sirius demanded to know. He really had to squash the desire to castrate the younger Malfoy. If it depended on him, Harry wouldn't have sex before he was forty – or before Sirius was dead.

"We're together since yesterday." Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He knew he was on thin ice now and he really hoped he wouldn't get beaten up by an overprotective godfather.

"And you decided to start screwing around immediately?" Sirius retorted sharply.

"We were just getting comfy with each other. We keep the screwing for …" Harry's hand on his mouth shut him up.

"Finish that sentence and there won't be screwing for you in this lifetime," Harry hissed in his ear.

Draco went pale and he complied. He could handle many threats, but no sex for a whole life? That was a threat he couldn't ignore.

Remus had heard what Harry had said to Draco and he couldn't contain the smirk that appeared on his face. He supposed he should be outraged that his cub was considering to have sex with the Malfoy (he would always be a child in Remus' eyes, no matter how old Harry would get), but he couldn't bring it up to be mad at them. They were teenagers for Merlin's sake! Of course they would have sex eventually. As long as they didn't tell Remus they had done it, Remus was okay with whatever they did. He could pretend they would hold hands forever if need be. Besides it was fun to see a Malfoy submit to a Potter.

"Sirius, calm down. They didn't do anything that we hadn't done when we were their age," Remus soothed his boyfriend and rubbed his back.

Harry went red when he heard that. He really didn't want to know how their sex life was. That was just too much information.

"But, but …" Sirius spluttered. "Harry is just a kid!"

"I'm sixteen!" Harry protested.

"That's too young to have sex!" Sirius snapped.

"But we didn't have sex! Besides if you just had knocked, you wouldn't have seen this," Harry sighed.

Draco snickered quietly.

"Oh, so you were never going to tell me you were together with him?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"What? Of course we were going to tell you! Preferably when you were drunk," Harry added underneath his breath.

Draco slapped his thigh lightly.

"All right, Sirius, go to our room so that you can cool off. We will talk about this later when you're calm again," Remus ordered him gently.

"I am calm!" Sirius growled.

"No, you're not. Go to our room, now," Remus said more firmly.

"But!" When Sirius met Remus' warning eyes, he complied. "Fine, I'll go, but those two will be in the living room, so you can keep an eye on them. I don't trust them alone in their room."

"You know, I still could …" A sharp slap on his thigh shut Draco up.

"We'll go to the living room," Harry hurried to say.

Sirius took a deep breath and marched to the bedroom he shared with Remus.

"Do you think he'll calm down?" Harry asked concerned.

"Don't worry about it. He's just in shock and in denial," Remus soothed and shooed them to the living room where the two boys sat next to each other.

Draco crossed his arms and scowled. "I don't see what the problem is. My father and Sev aren't making a fuss about it."

Lucius and Snape joined them. "That's because we already knew you two are together. That and we didn't catch you," Lucius said amused. His grey eyes sparkled amused when he noticed the love bite in Harry's neck that he had failed to cover.

Draco blinked. "How did you know?"

"We saw you in the garden," Snape answered curtly.

"Oh." Harry blushed again. He wondered if his head would be permanently red after this.

* * *

After an hour, Sirius emerged from his room, looking pale but calm. After begging Harry to not have sex before he turned forty, he admitted he didn't have a problem with them being together. Although he threatened Draco with castration and generally bodily harm if he ever hurt Harry. Draco didn't doubt the man meant his threat.

When it was time to go to bed, Sirius had watched them suspiciously. Truthfully he wanted to keep those two boys apart at night, but considering he didn't have more room, there was nothing he could do about it. But if he heard so much as one suspicious sound, he wouldn't hesitate to throw the blond boy in the hallway.

After long whining and pouting, Draco was finally allowed to sleep in the same bed with Harry, though Harry had warned him not to do anything funny.

* * *

The next day, Harry gave the letter from the Weasley twins to the four adults to read it.

"I never had thought those two would step so low as to poison someone. You must have made them really angry, Potter," Snape mused after reading the letter.

"Do you think they would honestly poison me?" Harry asked uncertainly. He was seated on Draco's lap on the couch. Sirius' eye had twitched when he had noticed that, but as long as he could keep an eye on Draco's hands, he didn't force them apart. But if that perverted blond so much as put his hands on Harry's stomach, he would put those hands in shackles.

"I really don't know, Harry, but I think it's safe to follow the advice of those twins," Lucius sighed.

After that, Harry tried his best to forget about the poison part in the letter and enjoyed the rest of his holiday. To be honest, he couldn't wait to get back to school. Not because he missed the lessons so much, but at least there he would have more privacy with Draco. After that day that Sirius had caught them, they weren't left alone in their room with the door closed, so they hadn't had a chance to 'explore' further, which was a real shame in Harry's opinion.

* * *

The last day of the holiday, Harry gathered his courage to ask Draco the question that had been on his mind for a few days now.

He slipped into their room where Draco was reading one of his books and softly closed the door.

Draco smiled when he saw Harry and beckoned him to sit next to him. Harry complied and gave the blond boy a soft kiss on his mouth.

"Draco, can I ask you a question?" Harry began uncertainly.

Draco pulled him in his arms. "Of course, ask away."

"What will happen when we're back at school?"

"Well, we'll have lessons, I'm going to beat the crap out of Blaise for sending that gift and we'll try to get some more privacy," Draco answered amused, though he meant the last two things he mentioned.

Harry smacked his arm. "That's not what I meant, idiot!"

"Then what did you mean?"

Harry began to fiddle with his sleeves, not looking Draco in his eyes. "I meant what's going to happen to us? Are you – are you going to tell that we're together?" he asked softly.

It was silent for a moment and Harry got a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"If you want; I don't have a problem with letting everyone know that we're together," Draco replied smiling.

"Really?"

"Of course! What, did you think I was ashamed of you?" Draco asked incredulously.

Harry blushed, because this was exactly what he had thought.

Draco's grey eyes widened and he pulled Harry tighter against him. "Don't ever think I'm ashamed of you," he whispered in Harry's ear and kissed him reassuringly on his mouth. Harry smiled in their kiss and kissed back.

A soft hiss from Garin alerted them and they pulled apart just in time to see Sirius opening the door. He looked at them suspiciously, but said, "Dinner is ready."

They nodded and stood up. Yes, they couldn't wait to be at school again.

* * *

The next day they were departing to King's Cross, to catch their train. Harry had put his necklace on just in case and had given the other to Draco. He really didn't want to believe that his former friends would want to poison him, but he figured the twins wouldn't warn him if they didn't suspect it. Harry and Draco had chosen a compartment at the end of the train to avoid the other students. They didn't only want some privacy, but the looks the other students gave him, was making Harry nervous. Some looked down right murderous and he didn't understand what their problem was. Therefore he was relieved when the train stopped.

For the first time, their train arrived earlier than usual, so they had still some time before they would go to the Great Hall to have dinner. After hugging Remus and Sirius, Harry went with Draco to their common room to meet their friends.

Blaise looked up when the portrait opened and he grinned. "Hello! It's good to see you again! How was your holiday? Better as mine I hope." He yelped when a Burning hex hit him. "What the fuck, Draco! Why did you do that?"

"You couldn't have found a more appropriate present for us?" Draco hissed and shoved his wand under Blaise's chin.

Blaise chuckled nervously. "I just thought it would be a good incentive for you to ask Harry out."

"Lube, Blaise? A sex book?" Draco said incredulously.

"I thought you would enjoy that." Blaise shrugged.

"If I were you, I would think about what I say, Blaise; Draco is really pissed off," Harry commented idly and plopped down on a couch.

Blaise glanced at him and grinned when he saw a hickey in Harry's neck. "So, my present did work! Draco, you dog!" That was the wrong thing to say.

Draco growled and tried to strangle Blaise.

"I told you to be careful," Harry said amused, not trying to help the Italian boy.

Millicent chose that moment to barge in. She was panting and her eyes widened when she saw Draco trying to strangle Blaise. "Why is Draco trying to strangle Blaise?" she asked curiously.

"Because the idiot couldn't keep his mouth shut," Harry replied nonchalantly.

"Ah." Millicent was quiet for a moment, but then remembered why she had hurried to arrive here. "Ah! Harry, if I were you, I would keep my wand in hand reach when it's dinner time."

"Why?" Harry asked surprised.

She looked at him sadly. "Because many students are out to get you now."

"What? Why?" Harry asked baffled.

Draco stopped his assault, but his hands were still around Blaise's neck. "What are you talking about, Millicent? Why would they be out to get Harry?"

"Because those idiots think it's Harry's fault that some of their family members died," Millicent huffed.

"What?"

"Didn't you read the newspaper today?"

Draco and Harry shook their head.

"Well, I will spare you the details, but You – Know – Who has attacked several people yesterday. Most of them were family members of students here. They are now convinced that it's Harry's fault those people died. They want to get revenge, so Harry, please be careful. Several of our House were already attacked during the holiday," Millicent answered, her voice trembling. "Ten are still in the hospital with broken bones."

"Have they caught the ones who did it?" Draco asked, releasing Blaise and pulling Harry in his arms.

Millicent shook his head. "No, supposedly they were alone when they were found by the teachers."

"Supposedly?" Harry repeated, his face pale.

"We're sure that Dumbledore knows who has attacked several of our House, but he doesn't punish them. I think he's afraid there will be repercussions from the parents if he does punish them. After all, the only ones who get attacked are Slytherins. It's not as if we can count on people believing us," Blaise replied darkly.

"And Draco, stay away from Pansy," Millicent warned him.

"Why?"

"She's up to something and when she hears you two are together now, she'll be severely pissed," Millicent sighed.

"It's such a joy to be back at school," Draco said sarcastically.

Harry squeezed softly in the arms around his waist.

Eventually it was time to have dinner. The three boys and Millicent made their way to the Great Hall when they were stopped in the middle of the hallway.

A boy with brown, curly hair and blue eyes was glaring at them, at Harry specifically. "You sure do have some nerve, coming back to school, Potter," he spat.

"Where else should I have gone to?" Harry asked annoyed.

"I don't know why you think you can show your face here. It's your fault my aunt is dead now," the boy hissed.

"Are you stupid? It was Voldemort who murdered your aunt, not me," Harry bit back.

"If you had killed Voldemort last year, he wouldn't have killed my aunt. How hard can it be?" the boy snarled.

"If you think it's that easy, then why don't you go and kill Voldemort? Let's see how long you manage to stay alive," Harry growled.

The boy sneered and pointed his wand at Harry's chest. "Sectum – "

"Expelliarmus!" Snape's cool voice said and the boy flew against the wall. "Mister Johnson, two hundred points from Ravenclaw for attempting to attack a fellow student with such a dangerous spell and detention for the rest of the year with me. Come on, now, we're going to see the Headmaster." He grabbed the boy's arm and dragged him up. "Potter, come to my office after dinner."

Harry nodded, his face pale. Draco gripped his hand tightly and gave him a quick kiss on his temple.

"What was that spell?" Harry asked, his voice slightly trembling.

Draco softly pulled him along to the Slytherin table. "That was the Sectumsempra curse. It's a forbidden curse that slashes open the victim's skin and lets him bleed to death if the wounds aren't closed immediately. Sev told me about the curse, but made me swear never to use it. I wonder how that kid knew that one. It isn't exactly in the curriculum of Hogwarts," he muttered darkly.

Harry swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. The fact that it was now dangerous for him to walk alone in the school had just sunk in. If Snape hadn't reacted that quickly, he would be lying on the floor now, probably bleeding to death. And he wasn't the only one who was in danger now; the rest of the Slytherins were targets too.

Harry looked around the Slytherin table, seeing his new friends sitting down. Some of them weren't that good in defending themselves so they were literally walking targets. The other Houses however had people in there who were very good at defending and attacking, because they had joined the defence club Harry had led the past year. There hadn't been one Slytherin in the club. If the situation was as serious as Millicent had told them, maybe it would be a good idea to resurrect the defence club to teach the Slytherins to defend themselves. Harry decided to talk about his idea with Snape later in the evening. After all, it concerned his House.

Harry sighed, but smiled weakly when he felt Draco's hand resting on his knee underneath the table. At least he had someone who would support his idea immediately.


	24. Slytherin defence club

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: angst, drama, lime, panic attack for Harry (I apologize again if the panic attack isn't accurate - I have no experience with it, so I base it on things I've read)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 24: Slytherin defence club**

The tension at the four House tables was almost touchable. Especially at the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables. They were practically murdering each other with their eyes. Harry tried to avoid those hate filled eyes from his former House by looking at his food, but it was rather hard to ignore the eyes that were practically drilling holes in his head. The teachers at the Head table either didn't notice the tension or they decided to simply ignore it, although Harry could feel the concerned gazes of Sirius and Remus.

After ten minutes of prodding his food and shoving it back and forth on his plate, Harry decided he wasn't hungry and left his food alone.

Draco looked at him concerned and gave his hand a soft squeeze beneath the table. "Are you all right, Harry?"

"Yeah, don't worry. I'm just not hungry," Harry replied softly.

"Then you don't mind that I steal your food?" Blaise grinned and was already transferring the meat on Harry's plate to his own.

Draco and a few other Slytherins looked at him disgusted. "You're such a pig, Zabini. Honestly." Draco shook his head.

Harry chuckled softly. "I don't mind; he can have my food."

"See, Draco, Harry doesn't mind, so you shouldn't either," Blaise grinned. A hard kick to his ankle, however, had him glaring and rubbing his sore ankle. "Do you have to be so abusive? Harry, you better watch out with him."

"Zabini, do me a favour and just shut up," Draco snapped, but calmed down when he felt Harry's thumb caressing his hand.

"Ignore Blaise; he's just being an idiot," Harry said amused.

"On whose side are you, Potter?" Blaise scowled.

"On the side that benefits me the most." Harry winked.

"Spoken like a true Slytherin," Millicent chuckled.

"Oh yeah? What does our Ice Prince have that I don't?" Blaise asked challenging.

"Manners for one," Draco answered dryly, which elected a laugh from the ones who sat nearby.

Blaise pouted and decided that the food on his plate was his best friend for now.

When the plates with the desserts disappeared as well, Dumbledore stood up and clapped his hands, drawing the attention to him.

"Before I let you go to your warm beds to get a nice sleep, I want to say a few things first."

Some students (mostly Slytherins) sighed.

"First I want to offer my condolences to the students who have lost members of their families during these past few weeks. What Voldemort did, was terrible and I can assure you all that I and the Ministry are doing everything we can to find Voldemort and punish him for his crimes," Dumbledore said gravely. "I and the other professors are here for you if you need someone to talk to. The second thing I want to address is that everyone needs to be in the dorms before curfew. This is something you normally already do, but I know that there are some that sneak out once in a while. This can be fun, but in these times it's dangerous to do that. For your protection you better go to the dorms before curfew begins. If teachers catch you outside your dorms during curfew you'll be given two weeks detention immediately."

A few groans were heard.

"The last thing I need to tell you is that I wish you all good luck in this new year." Dumbledore clapped his hands again. "Now, off you go, to your warm beds. Lessons start tomorrow again, so you better not be late."

"Should I accompany you to Sev?" Draco asked when they made their way out of the Great Hall.

Harry shook his head. "Nah, it's not like he's going to poison me." Then he looked uncertainly. "He won't, right?"

"Well, you are dating his godson," Blaise chuckled.

"I think I have more reason to be afraid of Harry's godfather then he has reason to be afraid of mine," Draco replied dryly.

Harry nudged him softly in his side. "Come on, Sirius isn't that bad. He's okay with us being together."

"He threatened me with bodily harm."

"Yeah, but Snape did that to me too in the beginning of the year," Harry pointed out.

"Yes, but he did that to show he wants to protect you, not because he wants to avoid us having sex," Draco huffed.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Are you still sore about that? It's not like he will watch us all the time."

"That's what you think," Draco muttered darkly. He was still sore about the fact that he and Harry hadn't had any time together during the holiday after Black had caught them. He smirked inwardly; now that they were back in Hogwarts, he would get his quality time with Harry. He had waited far too long to have Harry for him alone to get stopped by meddling godfathers.

They halted at the beginning of the dungeons. Draco bent down and gave Harry a quick kiss on his mouth.

"I'll wait for you in the common room," Draco said, smiling.

Harry nodded. "I'll see you there then." He waved to the other Slytherins and continued his way to Snape's chambers. He arrived after a couple of minutes and knocked on the door. Only a few seconds later, the door opened and Snape stood in the doorway, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Come in, Potter," Snape said calmly and closed the door after the dark haired boy entered his room.

"What did you want to talk about, sir?" Harry asked politely.

Snape sat down behind his desk and gestured to Harry to sit down in front of him. "Relax, Potter, you didn't break any rules – so far." His lips twitched a bit and Harry couldn't contain the little smile on his face.

"Do you know why that boy attacked you?"

The smile disappeared and Harry nodded slowly. "Millicent told me it's because most students believe it's my fault that their family was killed by Voldemort," he replied slowly.

Snape nodded. "It's ridiculous and shows how close minded most people are nowadays. Potter, you got lucky today that I was there to stop him, but there is not always a teacher around. If you want to avoid these types of situations – which I hope you want – then I suggest you don't go elsewhere without someone there with you. Although I doubt Draco will leave you alone." Again his lips twitched and Harry blushed slightly.

"And if you do get attacked, I'm sure you know how to defend yourself. The wolf can't stop talking about your talent in Defence against the Dark Arts," Snape sighed.

That got Harry thinking about his idea again. "Eh, professor, may I ask something?"

"I suppose."

"Well, Millicent and Blaise told me that several Slytherins were attacked during the holidays. I was thinking that we could start a club where someone learns the Slytherins to defend themselves," Harry explained nervously. "Considering there are students from other Houses who have learned to defend themselves with the DA last year, I think it's unfair that the Slytherins don't have the chance to properly defend themselves. After all, not everyone is good at Defence against the Dark Arts."

"Basically, you want to reopen your little defence club from last year, but this time for the Slytherins only," Snape summarized.

"Yes, but only if I have your permission, sir," Harry said quickly.

Snape smirked. "I believe this is the first time you come to ask me for permission, Potter. My, my, being in Slytherin does you good."

Harry folded his hands together and resisted the urge to bite on his lower lip.

"I don't have a problem with the club; it would be beneficial for this House. On one condition," Snape said suddenly.

Harry's head shot up and he looked incredulously. Snape was giving him permission? He wasn't arguing? What had he missed?

"You will be the one teaching them."

"What? Me? But, but I'm not really suitable for that. I thought I could ask Remus or Sirius," Harry protested. Why was he the one appointed again to lead the club? First Hermione, now Snape too. Why did everyone believe he had leader qualities?

"Potter, I was just reforming my opinion on you – don't change it back to the original one. Yes, you will teach the students; as loathe as I am to admit, you did a fair job last year. Besides, the students will trust you more than the mutt or the wolf," Snape replied calmly.

"Why would they trust me more than them?" Harry asked confused.

"You're a Slytherin and you're together with Draco. Those two reasons are enough for them," Snape answered.

"All right," Harry said slowly, still not understanding how a Slytherin's mind worked.

"Now that we cleared that up, I have one last thing to say."

Harry looked at him inquiringly.

"We will resume our conversations about your past next Saturday," Snape said, his black eyes flashing up with something unreadable.

Harry groaned. "I thought we were done with those," he protested.

"No, we're not. Now stop whining, brat and you can go to your dorms. Don't dare to be late tomorrow," Snape warned him.

Harry sighed and stood up. "Good night, professor."

Snape gave him a nod. "Good night, Potter." Snape watched the boy leave with a contemplative expression on his face. He was a very peculiar boy; not once had he reacted like Snape expected him to. That he wanted to teach his fellow students how to defend themselves showed that he was more comfortable with the fact that he was a Slytherin now. Snape wondered what would happen if for some miracle all the Houses were united which would break the spell. Would Potter want to go back to the House that was now shunning him? Or would he want to stay with his new House – where he fitted much better to Snape's astonishment?

If someone told him a year ago Potter would be a better Slytherin than a Gryffindor, he would have sent that person for a mental checkup in Saint Mungos. And yet, here he was. Snape shook his head; as long as the boy didn't do anything stupid like he was prone too, he couldn't care less if he was more Slytherin than Gryffindor.

* * *

Draco pulled Harry on his lap when the boy came to him. "How did it go?" he asked softly.

"Snape told me I can't go anywhere alone, because the students would want to attack me," Harry answered softly. "And he gave me permission to start a defence club for our House."

Draco looked at him surprised. "A defence club? Where did that come from?"

Harry shifted nervously, forgetting that he was sitting on Draco's lap and that that movement wasn't the smartest thing to do. Draco tightened his jaw and his hands shot out to grab Harry's hips, effectively stopping his actions.

"Harry, unless you want to ruin this couch and risk everyone seeing us, I would stop moving like that," Draco said, breathing harshly.

Harry's face burned when he realized the implication of Draco's words and he immediately stopped moving. "I'm sorry, Draco. I didn't mean to," he apologized embarrassed.

Draco sighed and his hands started to caress Harry's back. "It's okay. Let's talk about this defence club. Where did that come from?"

"Well, I started thinking about that when Millicent and Blaise told me about the attacks," Harry started to explain. "You know the defence club from last year?" At Draco's nod, he continued, "Well, I was thinking we could begin a defence club for the Slytherins, seeing as they weren't in the club last year. For now the other Houses have an advantage, because they know many defence and attack spells, but with this club, we could even the playground so to speak."

"Hm, sounds like a good idea to me." Draco nodded. "Who's going to teach the Slytherins?"

Harry bowed his head and murmured something with a red face.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but I didn't catch that. What did you say?" Draco asked confused.

"Snape said I have to be the one who teaches them, otherwise there won't be a club," Harry muttered, still not completely comfortable with the idea.

"I think that's a great idea. You're the best choice for teaching defence," Draco smiled and kissed him on the lips.

"But what if the others don't like it?" Harry asked insecurely.

"Why would you think that? If you hadn't noticed it, they all accept you. Blaise even told me some Slytherins were attacked, because they were defending you," Draco reassured him. "Believe me they will be happy that you want to teach them."

"Okay then," Harry murmured and laid his head on Draco's shoulder.

Draco sighed and stroked through the black hair. "This has not been an easy year for you so far," he muttered.

Harry shrugged and his arms wrapped themselves around Draco's waist. "When has it ever been an easy year for me?"

"True." Draco sighed again and pressed a kiss on Harry's hair. "I promise it will get better."

"Hm," Harry mumbled and his eyelids drooped a little. He was starting to feel sleepy.

Draco noticed this and with one quick movement had Harry in his arms as he stood up.

Harry squeaked a bit when he was suddenly picked up and threw his arms around Draco's neck. "What are you doing?" he protested.

"I'm taking you to your bed; you need some sleep," Draco answered calmly and started to walk to their dorm.

Harry began to wiggle, trying to get out of Draco's arms. "I can walk to the dorms by myself; you don't have to carry me! I'm not a girl."

"Oh, I know you're not a girl, but I like carrying you," Draco smirked.

Harry's face was flushed. "I must be heavy."

Draco snorted. "Are you crazy? I can barely feel your weight. Now shut up and let me carry you."

"You're bossy." Harry narrowed his eyes and pouted.

Draco smirked and pecked him on his lips. "You don't know how bossy I can get, Harry." He winked and was pleased to see a blush forming on Harry's cheeks.

"Jerk," Harry muttered and hid his face in Draco's shoulder, hitting him when he heard him chuckling.

With a murmured spell, they both were changed into pyjamas and Draco laid Harry on his bed. They shared a long kiss and a whispered 'good night', before they fell asleep.

* * *

The following morning, Harry was trying to decide whether he should eat cereal or toast when he felt someone standing behind him. He turned around and was surprised to see Luna standing there with a dreaming smile.

"Luna! How are you?" With a stab of guilt, Harry realized he hadn't paid much attention to the dreamy Ravenclaw, eh, Hufflepuff. She had been one of the few he considered friends, even though they only had really spoken to each other last year. She even had helped him with telling the world the truth with an article in her father's magazine.

"I'm good, Harry, the Snuzzles haven't been bothering me," she answered happily, playing with her necklace made of red flowers.

"Snuzzles?" Blaise repeated incredulously.

"Yes; they are a Fire spirits with Hell dogs," Luna replied seriously. "When they catch you, they enter your mind and give you horrible nightmares that will make you crazy."

The Slytherins who had heard her all blinked and decided that it was better for their state of mind if they didn't engage her in a conversation.

"I wanted to say I'm happy for you and Draco that you are together now. It's good that he makes you happy; you need someone to make you really happy," Luna continued telling him in her usual dreamy voice.

Only Harry wasn't shocked at hearing Luna saying that. He had always had a feeling she knew more than most people.

"How do you know Harry and I are together?" Draco asked shocked. "Did someone from Slytherin tell you that?"

"Nope, but I can see it. You always had a bond with each other; you just didn't realize that, because you were too young to understand it," Luna told him happily.

"I'm glad you're happy for us, Luna," Harry smiled.

"Can I enter the club again? I had fun last year." Luna gazed dreamily at him.

Harry blinked. "You mean the defence club? Sure."

"Thank you, Harry. I'll see you next Friday in the usual room," Luna said happily and skipped away.

Harry blinked. "Well, now we know when the first meeting will be and where," he said dryly.

"What did she mean with the usual room?" Blaise asked curiously.

"The Room of Requirement on the seventh floor," Harry replied absentmindedly, now trying to decide between coffee or orange juice.

"I never heard of that room before." Blaise frowned.

"That's because you have to do something for the room to appear," Harry muttered and looked triumphantly when he decided on coffee.

"When are you going to tell the others about the club?" Draco asked and reached for the orange juice.

Harry shrugged and swallowed down his bite of cereal before answering, "I don't know; I thought about telling the group tonight in the common room."

Draco nodded. "That's a good idea."

* * *

While Harry and Draco were talking about the club, two pair of eyes were watching them in envy.

Ginny was biting her lip, trying to think of a way to get Harry alone so she could ask him out. She had forgiven him for refusing her months ago, because she understood that he didn't want to make his friend mad by dating his little sister.

She was sad that her brother and her soon to be boyfriend had had a huge fight, but she was sure that they would be friends again when she and Harry got together. Now she only had to think about a way to get her Harry alone.

It was frustrating how he was always seen together with Malfoy, but she had a feeling that he was forced to stay by Malfoy's side. But that would all change soon.

* * *

Pansy was glaring daggers at Potter. How dare he sit next to her Draco and laugh and talk with him as if they were best friends? He didn't have the right! She should be the one sitting next to Draco and laughing and talking to him – and kissing him.

She was certain she could make the blond Ice Prince happy. After all she had the same background as him while Potter was nothing more than a filthy half blood. He didn't even know about the Wizarding world before he turned eleven! He would never be able to make Draco happy.

Now she only had to find the chance to talk with Draco alone. She knew he missed her and that he was only amusing himself with Potter. Maybe she could follow them today and try to catch him alone. She nodded thoughtfully; yes, that was a good plan.

When the last lesson of that day had ended, she followed Draco and Potter while they walked up the stairs. She didn't know where they were going, but she saw no harm in following them. Maybe Draco was dropping Potter off at his godfather; her lip curled up in disgust when she thought of Sirius Black. He came from one of the most pure pureblood families and he had the nerve to be disgusted by it! Worse, he had had the nerve to start a relationship with a filthy werewolf! But that didn't matter to her; the only one that mattered to her was her Draco.

Pansy frowned when she saw the boys halting in a deserted corridor. She hid behind the corner and peeked around to see what they were doing. Her jaw dropped when she took in the sight in front of her. Potter was leaning against the wall and Draco stood in front of him with his arms around him. Potter said something to which Draco smirked and he bent down to … press his lips against Potter's! Potter's arms moved around Draco's neck and he pulled the blond tighter against his body, kissing him back.

Pansy couldn't believe her eyes. Was she hallucinating? Had someone put a spell on her without her noticing it? Why would her Draco – her straight Draco – kiss Potter? He couldn't be gay! He just couldn't! How would he continue the Malfoy line if he was together with Potter? What was he thinking? Had Potter put a love spell on him? She wanted to believe that, but then she had to believe that Draco wasn't magically strong enough and that she couldn't believe.

What was wrong with them? If they truly were together – Pansy really prayed they weren't and Draco was just using Potter for his own fun – then she had to rethink her plan. She would need another one to make Draco hers.

Her jaw clenched and her eyes narrowed. Potter would pay for this. Without another look back, she stalked back to the Gryffindor tower.

* * *

"Couldn't you wait until we were in the Room of Requirements?" Harry mumbled against Draco's lips breathlessly.

Draco smirked. "You know I don't have much patience when it comes to you."

Harry rolled his eyes. "And what if someone saw us?"

Draco shrugged. "Let them see; I don't care."

Harry sighed and shook his head. "Do you think you can keep calm until we reach the room?"

"I can't promise anything."

Harry smacked his arm lightly and escaped from the arms holding him captive against the wall. "Let's go."

They continued to walk up a few stairs until they arrived on the seventh floor. They found the wall where the Room of Requirement was hidden and Harry began to walk three times in front of it, thinking ' _I need a place to train a group, I need a place to train a group, I need a place to train a group_ '. After three times a plain wooden door appeared and Harry opened it, peeking inside. To his surprise, it was the exact same room where he had trained with the DA. He stepped inside and Draco followed him, closing the door behind him. He looked around and nodded approvingly.

"This is perfect for our defence club," he smiled.

"Hm," Harry hummed and studied the books; there were more books this time.

"Say, this room changes in whatever you need, right?" Draco asked suddenly.

Harry looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "Yes, why do you ask?"

Draco grinned and closed his eyes. Harry's eyes widened when the room began to change. Instead of the training room with the books on defence and attack, a cozy room with a burning fireplace and a big bed appeared.

Draco opened his eyes and his grey eyes were burning passionately. Harry swallowed when he saw that look directed at him. It seemed that his boyfriend was more interested in doing something else than inspecting training rooms.

"You don't seem to be very interested in inspecting a training room, huh?" Harry chuckled nervously.

Draco smirked and walked up to the dark haired boy. "No, not really." He kept walking which caused Harry to step back until his knees touched the bed and he fell on it with a quiet yelp.

Draco chuckled softly and climbed on top of Harry.

"I thought I would make use of this opportunity, because there are no meddling godfathers around," Draco murmured.

"You are a pervert," Harry accused him.

Draco smirked. "Maybe, but what are you going to do about it?"

Before Harry could retort, Draco had covered his mouth with his own and licked his lips, asking for entrance. Harry opened his mouth and met Draco's tongue, tangling with it. Without releasing Draco's mouth, Harry leaned on his elbows and crawled backwards, so that they laid more comfortably in the middle on the bed. Harry's head hit the soft pillows and Draco pushed his mouth harder against Harry's and engaged his tongue in a heated battle. Harry moaned softly and his hands tangled in Draco's hair, messing it up. Meanwhile Draco had left Harry's mouth and his lips trailed from his lips to his neck. The other boy panted and he rested his head to the right, showing Draco his neck. He took advantage of that and his lips started to suck on a particular spot under Harry's jaw line, making the black haired boy keen.

Draco raised his head and stared at the boy underneath him. Emerald green eyes had darkened and were burning; red lips were swollen and pants were escaping them; a dark blush stained pale cheeks.

Harry had noticed the intense stare of the blond boy and bit on his lip, not comfortable with the stare. "What?" he asked uncertainly. Had he done something wrong?

Draco smiled tenderly and one finger caressed a cheek. "You're beautiful, Harry," he whispered and stole Harry's breath with a tender kiss.

"I think you're the one who needs glasses," Harry chuckled weakly, not really knowing how to take the compliment. Not once in his life had he been told he was beautiful; he had never expected compliments from the Dursleys, because all they ever gave him were insults, tasks and cuffs around his ear when he didn't obey them and it would have been weird if his friends had told him he was beautiful. Besides, considering his childhood had been bereft of compliments, he had never learned to appreciate them. As a result of this, he felt always extremely uncomfortable if someone did give him a compliment.

"Oh no, I'm sure I don't need glasses," Draco murmured and kissed Harry again. His hands left their place on the bed and started to caress Harry's chest; one hand slipping underneath the white shirt and starting to trace patterns on the soft, naked chest.

Harry shivered when he felt the cool hand touch his chest and one hand left the blond hair to slid down the body on top of him and he slipped his hand underneath the green sweater. His fingers traced the abs he felt and his hand slipped higher, stroking Draco's chest.

Draco hummed when he felt Harry's warm hand caressing his chest and he grew bolder; his strokes got rougher and harder and his hand started to inch down to the waistband, wanting to feel more of his boyfriend.

Their body heat increased and they pushed their bodies closer to each other, wanting to feel everything. Impatiently, Draco pushed Harry's legs apart and settled between them. The heat in his lower belly grew which caused something else to grow as well. In one bold move, Draco pushed his hips down, grinding his hard on against – Draco noticed this with delight and satisfaction – Harry's. His head fell down on Harry's shoulder and he groaned when his crotch came in contact with the other one. Merlin, that felt so good! He wanted to feel more. He started to grind down again, until he felt two hands gripping his shoulders. He looked up into green eyes. Into those green eyes was a mix of fear, embarrassment and lust.

"Draco …" Harry faltered. He didn't have a clue as to what he wanted to say. This was all new to him: having a lover, kissing, the feelings and the touching too – certainly the touching. He wasn't sure on how to continue this. He had no idea how to react. Did he mention he had no experience whatsoever with this? What if he did something wrong? What if he disappointed Draco somehow? He didn't want that! He and Draco hadn't actually talked about it, because they were just together, but Harry was certain he wasn't Draco's first. This made it all more embarrassing, because Draco was his first for practically everything romantically; well, except for the first kiss. He had given his first kiss to Cho last year, but that had been a huge disappointment. He really wanted to continue this … whatever this was, because it felt so amazing, but he didn't want to fuck it up by reacting wrong either.

Unconsciously while he was thinking about all this, his grip on the strong shoulders had tightened and he bit on his lower lip.

At first, Draco was confused as to why the other boy had stopped him – things were just starting to get fantastic! – but as realization slipped into his mind, his eyes softened and he tried to calm down a little.

"Harry, if you don't want to do this, I can stop here," he assured the dark haired boy.

"No, no, it's just …" Harry's voice trailed off, not sure how to finish that sentence, feeling more embarrassed as the seconds ticked by.

Understanding lit up on the blond boy's face. "You have never done this before, right?"

Harry nodded, too ashamed to speak up. Draco was going to laugh at him for that. A sixteen year old boy with no experience whatsoever in the romantic department – yeah, that was too stupid for words.

Draco however was quite excited to hear that. He had known of course that Harry hadn't had many lovers; that much was clear by his shy actions and Black's overprotectiveness when he heard about their relationship. But to hear that he was his first … That made him swell with pride and excitement; and all right, maybe a tad possessiveness too. It made him feel sort of proud that Harry let him be the first. Because what boy didn't want to be the first for their lover? Harry was completely his; he wasn't tainted by another person, but was pure and all Draco's.

"Hey, you don't have to be embarrassed about that. I'm happy that I'm your first," Draco assured him and his hands rubbed soothingly over Harry's arms.

"Really? But I thought you would like it more if I had some experience …" Harry said uncertainly, not wanting to believe the blond Slytherin. Why would he be happy with the fact that Harry had absolutely no experience with this?

"Are you crazy? Why would I like that more? I like the thought that I'm your first for this. It makes me feel honored," Draco smiled tenderly.

"But I don't know what to do," Harry replied helplessly and ashamed.

"Just do what you want to do; it will all work out, trust me." When Harry still looked uncertainly, Draco stroked his hair back and gave him a quick kiss on his mouth. "You know what? Just follow my lead and if you want to stop, then tell me and I'll stop immediately. I don't want to force you, okay?"

Harry nodded, feeling slightly more relieved that Draco wasn't laughing at him for his inexperience.

Draco pushed his lips against his again and initiated a fiery kiss, that literally made him see some stars behind his closed eyelids and he moaned in response. His hands relaxed their grip and wandered to Draco's back, while his tongue engaged the other one in a passionate battle.

When Draco felt his arousal meeting another one, he decided to try again. He began grinding down his hard cock against Harry's hard one while his hands wandered over Harry's chest, caressing and soothing him at the same time. Harry's breath got caught in his throat when he felt hips pushing against his own and he moaned again, pushing back on instinct, trying to create more wonderful friction.

"That's it," Draco panted in his ear and the hands on his chest got rougher – not that Harry minded that. Draco began rolling his hips and pushing down harder, groaning while he did that. Merlin, this was fantastic! The clothes between them created more heavenly friction and he started to pant harder. If Black or Snape now appeared in the room, he wouldn't have noticed it, so lost was he in the sensations.

A warm hand touching his chest made him snap his hips forward again and they both moaned at the sensation that caused.

"Do you like it, Harry?" he breathed in his ear, circling the other boy's nipple with his fingers and his lips found a sensitive spot behind Harry's ear.

Harry mewled at all those different sensations and had a hard time wrapping his mind about what Draco was saying. When his brain finally registered what the other boy had asked him, he nodded. "Mmm, yes," he murmured and his mouth latched onto Draco's neck, sucking and biting lightly.

"Good," Draco panted and shuddered when the warm hand on his chest slid down to tease his lower stomach.

Eventually, the burning sensations became too much for the two boys and their hips were pressed tightly together when they finally came; Draco biting Harry's neck and Harry moaning Draco's name, his head thrown into the pillows; both their bodies shuddering and shocking in their release; white and black stars appearing behind their eyelids.

For a while they stayed in the same position trying to catch their breath and calm their racing heart. When Draco was breathing regularly again he slipped off of Harry and settled down next to him, pulling him into his arms. After he had casted a cleaning spell on both of them, he kissed him softly on his cheek.

"Did you enjoy it?" he asked, wanting to be sure that Harry had enjoyed it.

Harry chuckled weakly, feeling tired from their 'make out' session. "I thought that was obvious."

"So you don't regret it?" Draco asked relieved.

"Absolutely not. I really liked it, Draco," Harry mumbled and pressed a soft kiss on Draco's lips.

"I'm glad to hear that; so you wouldn't mind repeating it later?" Draco asked, laughing softly.

Harry smacked his arm weakly. "Horny bastard," he muttered and rolled his eyes.

"I take that as a 'why yes, Draco, I would love to repeat that again'," Draco smirked.

"Shut up," Harry retorted tiredly.

It wasn't long before Harry's eyes closed and he fell asleep. Draco smiled and decided to join him. They still had a few hours before dinner began anyway.

* * *

When they finally woke up again, they realized disappointed that they had missed dinner; their stomachs protested loudly at that realization.

"Shit, what are we going to do now?" Draco cursed and sat up. Thank Merlin they still had some time before curfew started or else he had to worry about that as well.

Harry yawned and yanked his shirt down that had ridden up in his sleep, showing his stomach. "Don't worry, we just sneak into the kitchen and ask the elves for some food. I'm sure they'll be willing to give us some."

Draco looked at him suspiciously. "Why do you know where the kitchens are?"

Harry blinked. "That's not really important. Let's go," he said defensively.

Draco chuckled, but shut up when he received a jab in his ribs. He winced and rubbed the sore spot, deciding to never get on Harry's bad side. If he jabbed him like this for just chuckling at his response, he didn't want to know what happened if he made Harry pissed off.

The two boys were just walking down the third floor, when one portrait opened and Sirius stuck his head out.

"Draco, Harry, what are you doing here? Why weren't you in the Great Hall for dinner?" he asked surprised.

Harry decided it was best not to mention to Sirius what he had done with Draco. He wouldn't put it past his godfather to give Draco detention for the rest of the year. "We were checking out the Room of Requirement for the defence club."

"Defence club?" Sirius frowned.

Before Harry could further explain, two stomachs growled angrily, demanding food. Both boys blushed when Sirius laughed.

"Come in, we get a house elf to bring you two food," Sirius chuckled and opened the portrait for them.

Remus looked up surprised from his book when he saw Harry and Draco entering their room.

"What are you doing here?"

"These two idiots have missed dinner, because they were checking the Room of Requirement for their defence club, so I invited them to eat here," Sirius answered and walked to the kitchen to call a house elf.

Harry rolled his eyes and sat down next to Draco on the couch in front of the fire.

Remus' eyes widened a bit when he caught a peculiar scent waving off the two boys and he blushed when he recognized the scent. He coughed awkwardly and closed his book. He checked first to see if Sirius was still busy in the kitchen before muttering, "You're lucky that Sirius doesn't have the strong sense of smell that I have; otherwise Draco would probably be locked up in a place only Sirius knows."

Harry looked confused and Draco raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about, sir?" Draco asked.

Remus snorted. "Oh please, save the 'I'm innocent' card. I can smell you did more than just checking that room. Please take a shower first before you come to visit after you've done that. I really have no need to know what you were doing exactly."

Harry's face went fire red and even Draco was blushing. Talk about embarrassing.

"You can smell what we did?" Harry squeaked embarrassed.

Remus tapped his nose. "Sadly, I have the strong sense of the werewolf even in daily life; now hush, before Sirius knows what happened."

Harry groaned softly and slumped down in the couch. All right, so Sirius hadn't caught them this time, but they were still discovered by the strong sense of smell of Remus. Couldn't they do anything without being caught one way or the other?

When Sirius entered the living room again, he had two plates filled with mashed potatoes, gravy and roasted chicken in his hands. He placed them on the coffee table in front of the two boys and conjured glasses to pour pumpkin juice in them.

"Dig in, boys," he smiled and sat down in the chair next to Remus.

"Thanks, Sirius," Harry smiled and began to eat.

"So, what is this about this defence club? Are you talking about the same club you had last year, pup?" Sirius asked curiously.

"Not exactly. The club will have the same purpose as last year, but this time only for Slytherins and well, Luna too," Harry added when he thought of the blond girl.

"So you heard about the attacks on the Slytherins during the holidays," Remus sighed.

Harry nodded. "Millicent and Blaise told us about it yesterday."

"Did you talk about it with Snape?" Remus asked curiously.

"Harry spoke to him yesterday," Draco replied.

"He said it was okay to start the club on one condition," Harry muttered, still not liking the condition.

"What condition? Do you have to scrub the cauldrons for the rest of the year?" Sirius joked.

Harry glowered, but didn't answer.

"He has to be the one who does the teaching," Draco informed the two older men, when it was clear that Harry refused to answer.

"That's not a bad condition, cub. You already did that last year, so there should be no problem now," Remus said soothingly.

"Yeah, but that's because Hermione forced me to. I don't like teaching, but Snape insist I'm the one doing it, because I'm good at Defence against the Dark Arts. Can't you do the teaching, Remus?" Harry asked hopefully; he even added the big puppy eyes look. It couldn't hurt to add that.

Remus laughed. "No, I'm sorry, but Snape is right. You're the best choice for teaching the Slytherins. After all, I'm a former Gryffindor. I don't think they would prefer to be taught privately by a former Gryffindor."

"Snape said the same thing." Harry glared at him. "You're supposed to support me, not him. On whose side are you?"

Remus bit on his lip to avoid laughing. "I'm on your side, cub, but this is something you should do and not me."

Harry huffed, but didn't retort, recognizing a lost battle when he saw one. Draco squeezed his thigh reassuringly.

* * *

Three days later, the whole school found out that Harry and Draco were together. Somehow, someone had snapped a picture of them when they were kissing in an abandoned classroom after Potions. At first, the two boys hadn't had a clue as to what had happened to make the students whispering about them again. Sure, some of them still had tried to attack Harry because of their families, but they were stopped quickly when they saw that Harry was never alone. Then Millicent had timidly showed them the flyer with their picture on it.

Harry didn't know how to respond to that. By the looks of the other students, he had even fallen lower in their eyes, by being gay. Well, being gay and being together with Draco. He looked up to Draco and became worried when the grey eyes were still staring at the flyer. They were standing in front of the Great Hall; it was lunch time. How would Draco react to this?

"Draco?" Harry asked worriedly.

"Hey, Malfoy, I didn't know you liked arses!" one boy shouted tauntingly.

"Yeah, wonder how your precious daddy will react to that! His only son a fag!" another boy laughed.

Draco crumpled the flyer in his hand and looked up. He threw a death glare at the students surrounding them and they flinched when they were caught by the glare.

His arm curled around Harry's waist and hugged him to his side. "Listen imbeciles; yes, I'm gay and yes, I'm together with Harry. I don't care what you all think about this. I don't care if you like this or not." His glare intensified, making the students in front of him stepping back. "What I and Harry do with each other is none of your business! If I want to kiss Harry, then I kiss him! If I want to hug him or hold his hand, I do that! You can all shove your opinions about us in a place where the sunlight never shines. I can help you with that," he finished hissing the last sentence. He grabbed Harry's chin, lifted it up and kissed him full on his lips. Green eyes widened before closing and he kissed the blond boy back. A few catcalls came from their friends, but everyone else didn't dare to make a sound, fearing how Draco would react.

When they parted again, both boys were panting. Draco's hand slipped down to Harry's hip and he tugged the other boy with him. "Let's go eat," he murmured and beckoned their friends to follow them.

Daphne Greengrass sighed softly, a few seats away from them. "My, Draco, that was so romantic! Harry, you have a great catch there!" She winked at him, causing him to redden slightly.

"Yeah, though, you didn't have to go that far," he scolded Draco lightly.

Draco shrugged. "I wanted to kiss you anyway; might as well show those jerks that I don't care about their opinions."

Harry sighed, but smiled. He was glad that Draco had stood up for their relationship.

* * *

Besides a few snide remarks that were quickly silenced with a few strategically placed spells on the victims, nobody dared to voice their opinion on their relationship; although, it ended up in the Daily Prophet. Harry had received requests from the newspaper to give an interview, but he had refused all of them. He didn't want to talk about his relationship with Draco to people who only cared about how many copies they would be able to sell if the article appeared in the newspaper. Their relationship was private; other people had no business with it. Both Draco and Harry received many letters from people who either supported them or found it disgusting that they dared to be together. The last sort was quickly thrown away in the fireplace.

One letter had hurt Harry a lot, though he hadn't showed it. It was from Mrs. Weasley. She hadn't sent a Howler this time, but a very short note in which she explained how disappointed she was in Harry that he had chosen a boy – a lowly Slytherin – over her beautiful daughter. She also added that his parents would have been disappointed too.

That last comment had hurt the most. Harry had never known his parents, so he really didn't have a clue as to how they would have reacted to their son being gay. Because he didn't want Sirius and Remus to get into another fight with Mrs. Weasley, he had hidden the letter in his nightstand, intend on throwing it away when he had the chance.

Unfortunately Draco had found the letter before it could be destroyed. Harry had never seen his boyfriend that furious. He had tried to calm him down, but Draco had just stormed out of the dorms and had disappeared (Harry had forgotten he could have used the map to locate him – a fact which had made him want to slam his head against the wall for being so stupid) only to reappear one hour later with a very satisfied smirk on his face.

When Harry had asked him where he had gone to and what he had done with the letter, Draco had just kissed him hard on his mouth and had answered that it had all been taken care of. He didn't get a more specific answer and after three hours of questioning, Harry was forced to give up. Although he had been very suspicious when he had seen Snape smirking later that night, looking like a cat that had caught the canary.

His pets had the same look on their faces every night; Harry suspected it was because they got back at all the students who dared to hurt him. He had heard Pomfrey complaining about the many bites, scratches and burn marks several students seemed to suddenly acquire. Harry just hid his smirk whenever that happened, because he just knew that his pets were behind those wounds. Not that he minded that.

* * *

Two weeks after the holidays had ended; it was the first meeting of the defence club for the Slytherins. It was held on Friday evening, half an hour after classes had ended. Harry had made the announcement a week earlier in the common room and most Slytherins appreciated the chance to learn more. The ones, who were interested in joining the club, came to Harry or Draco and they gave the location where the meeting would be held. The members now consisted out of Slytherins, Luna, Neville and Dean (though the last two weren't comfortable at first being in a room full of Slytherins). Luna had brought the two boys with her and reassured them that the 'Snuzzles' wouldn't be able to reach them in the room.

Just like the year before, Harry tested all the students to check how strong they were. Most students were average; not very strong, but they weren't weak either. Thus Harry divided them in groups; there were two groups with people who needed a lot of training; six groups of people who just needed more practice with the spells and finally there was one group who showed the other groups how to duel and how to perform the spells - Harry, Draco, Blaise, Daphne, Luna and surprisingly Neville were placed in this group. For three hours straight they helped the weak groups with their spells and watched over the other groups. At the end, Harry was very satisfied with the progress they had made so far. They decided to have a club meeting every Friday, unless something came up.

Harry hadn't paid much thought about the possible threat that Ron and Hermione could pose and thus had gotten a bit careless.

* * *

The day after the club meeting, it was Saturday and Harry had a meeting with Snape to talk about his past again. Harry would never admit it, but it did feel good to talk about it with someone who wouldn't judge him. It was still embarrassing and often Harry had felt ashamed to tell his godfather what had happened to him while the man was in prison, but after those sessions he was relieved and kind of happy that he had talked about it. It was rather strange that he trusted Snape and felt comfortable enough to talk about his past with the man, while his friends had never gotten much out of him about his past. Sure, they knew the Dursleys mistreated them and that he wasn't happy with them, but they had never asked further. Harry guessed that showed once again that maybe they hadn't been that best of friends after all.

Because these meetings were in the dungeon and thus close to the Slytherin common room, Harry hadn't felt the need to bring his pets with him and he had assured Draco that he could work on his homework while he went to talk with his godfather. After all, nobody would willingly walk through the dungeons on a Saturday afternoon.

Harry closed the door behind him with a sigh. For two hours, he had been talking about the Dursleys again. This time, he had talked about the fact that he had been forced to live and sleep in a cupboard for the first ten years of his life until the owls of Hogwarts had managed to find him. After that, he had been given the playroom of his cousin, Dudley. He had idly wondered how things were going for his relatives, but had forced that thought away. He would never have to go to the Dursleys again and thus, he didn't want to spend time thinking about them.

While Harry mused about the fact that it was rather scary to see Snape acting so friendly towards him – though he still could give him snarky and sarcastic comments, but that was just how Snape was – three pairs of eyes were glaring at him, hidden in the shadows. The eyes followed him while he walked past them and silently, the shadows started to move too.

Harry stopped in front of a closed door when he felt something prickling his neck. It was like he was being … watched. He tensed up and secretly reached for his wand, when a voice he recognized, yelled, "STUPEFY!"

Harry had no time to raise a shield and when the spell hit him, his whole body went stiff like a board and he fell to the ground, hitting the floor with a loud 'THUD'. His eyes stared at the ceiling and he heard three pair of footsteps coming towards him.

The freckled face of Ron appeared above his head and his former friend sneered. "Well, well, look at that, boys. The almighty Saviour can't even defend himself against a simple Stupefy. How you managed to survive You – Know – Who so many times, I can't understand. It was probably by sheer dumb luck. And we're supposed to trust you to save us. Tsk, tsk, how disappointing. Well, it makes it easier for us." Ron nodded to the two other boys, who stood just out of Harry's vision.

Harry started to panic when he felt his body being picked up and the door next to him was opened, before he was thrown in it. His body hit the cold stone floor and he barely fit in here.

Ron appeared in the doorway, twirling Harry's wand in his hand. "You won't need this in here," he laughed cruelly and threw the wand away; it hit a wall and rolled further down the hallway, disappearing in the shadows. "Let's see how long it takes before someone notices you're gone. Seeing as you're here in the dungeons and this castle is huge, I think it will take a while. Have fun in here, Potter," Ron spat out his last name and with a loud BANG, the door was closed.

For a few seconds it glowed and Harry realized they had put a locking spell on it. He heard their footsteps removing themselves from the door and eventually it was silent.

Harry was now in a full blown panic. Images of being thrown in his cupboard, staying in the dark for hours, his only company a few spiders were flashing through his head and he started to breathe faster and faster. The spell wore off and he curled up in himself, trying to calm down and think of something to escape, but he was getting lost in his memories. The space wasn't big enough! It was too dark; the walls seemed to close in on him; the dark was trying to swallow him up like it had tried to do when he was a kid. He was nearly hyperventilating and all he wanted was to get out! He wanted to get out of this place! Back to the light, where he was safe.

More and more memories of his cupboard and his feelings of loneliness and fear were attacking his mind until he finally let out a terrified scream that tore through his throat.

"LET ME OUT!" he screamed in fear and started to bang on the wooden, heavy door. Wood chafed his hands, cutting through the skin and making him bleed. Harry paid no attention to the pain and just kept screaming and banging on the door. After each scream, he had to gasp for air, still on the verge of hyperventilation.

He was so lost in his fear and memories that he never noticed how two spots on his body started to glow, nor did he notice a shadow disappearing past the door.

* * *

Draco was startled out of his study session when a loud growl and an angry hiss cut through the silence in the room. His head shot up and his eyes widened when he noticed how furious Ruby, Sapphire and Garin were. Sapphire had her nails out and her hair was straight up while she was baring her teeth. Ruby was angry growling and the fire on his body seemed to grow bigger; his red eyes were nearly spitting fire. Garin had rising up and he was hissing furiously, his head swinging back and forth.

Draco frowned; what was wrong with them? They had never acted like this before. He turned towards them. "Hey, hush, what's wrong? There is nothing wrong here," he muttered, but he looked around to see if something was out of the ordinary. He found nothing.

He almost jumped a foot in the air when something long came slithering from underneath the drawer. The moment the thing came into the light, Draco recognized it as the snake of Salazar, whose painting was now hanging on the wall in Snape's private quarters.

"What the …" he murmured incredulously. What was Layla doing here?

Layla seemed to be hissing something at Garin and Draco wished Harry was here to translate it. He wondered if there was a dictionary for Parseltongue.

He tensed up when he felt something tugging on his pants. He looked down and saw that it was Ruby who had Garin draped around his neck. Meanwhile Sapphire was waiting at the door with Layla.

Ruby tugged again, pulling him towards the direction of the door. Draco was confused; what did they want?

"Do you want me to follow?" he asked uncertainly, not even knowing why he bothered to ask this to animals who clearly couldn't answer him. Well, they couldn't answer verbal, but with nonverbal replies, they didn't have much trouble.

Ruby tugged at his pants again and Draco relented, following Sapphire and Layla. He ignored the questioning looks of his fellow Slytherins and followed the pets out of the dorms. He was getting more and more confused when they led him towards the corridor that came out on Snape's quarters.

However before they reached Snape's quarters, Ruby stopped him in front of a closed door.

"All right, what now?" he asked curiously, but tensed when he heard a faint yelling and banging. He drew his wand and concentrated on the noise to figure out where it was coming from. He was baffled when he discovered it came from behind the wooden door he was standing in front of. He concentrated harder and was shocked when he thought he recognized Harry's voice. But that couldn't be, because Harry was with his godfather. A glance at his watch told him that Harry was supposed to be back in the dorm by now. If this was indeed Harry behind the door, why was he in it?

"Is Harry behind this door?" Draco asked, trying to be calm.

Ruby went to the door and whined softly, butting his head against it. Draco took this as a 'yes' and tried to open the door. It wouldn't butch.

"Alohomora!" he snapped and the door flew open and hit the wall with a 'BANG'. He was shocked when he saw Harry.

Harry was sitting on the floor on his knees, rocking back and forth; his hands were bloodied and he was still screaming, his voice rough and raw. His eyes were glazed over, but were looking utterly terrified. It broke Draco's heart to see him like this.

Immediately he dropped to his knees on the floor and pulled his boyfriend in his arms, hugging him tightly.

"Hush, Harry, I'm here; everything's all right. It's over; I've got you. You're safe," he kept murmuring again and again, trying to soothe the terrified boy. He rocked them back and forth, stroking over Harry's hair and tried everything to calm him down while he was furiously asking himself what the hell had happened to make Harry this terrified and locked up. When he discovered who did this, there would be hell to pay. Draco's grey eyes darkened and burned; nobody hurt his Harry and got away with it.

Abruptly Harry stopped screaming, but started to sob, burying his head in Draco's shoulder while hugging him tightly.

Draco maneuvered them so, that he was sitting against the wall on the other side with Harry on his lap. He pressed soft kisses on Harry's forehead, temples and cheeks while muttering soothing words. His eyes caught a faint glowing on two spots on Harry's body before it faded away; he furrowed his eyebrows, but filed that away. He would think about it later.

* * *

"You three should follow Layla; it's an emergency," Salazar suddenly interrupted their talk about Harry.

Sirius, Remus and Snape stared at him.

"Excuse me?" Snape asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Listen, now it's not the time to go into full detail, but Layla told me she found young Mister Potter incredibly upset and on the verge of hyperventilating. Young Mister Malfoy is already with him, but I think it's best if you meet them as well," Salazar replied hastily. "He's a bit further down the corridor."

The three men looked at each other, but quickly left the quarters to find the boys.

Salazar looked thoughtfully at Layla. "Layla, my dear, thank you for warning me. I'm glad you found him on time, though the boy worries me. If it continues like this, he'll be a walking target. He needs more training and quickly, before it's too late," the Founder mused.

* * *

The three adults stopped in their tracks when they took in the sight in front of him.

Draco was leaning against the wall, trying to soothe a hysterical Harry on his lap. Harry's body was shivering and shuddering violently, sobs ranking through his body.

Sirius and Remus immediately dropped in front of the pair, rubbing Harry's back and looked anxiously to Draco. They never had seen their godson acting like this. He acted like a terrified, wild animal.

"What happened?" Sirius asked alarmed.

Draco shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. Harry's pets brought me to him. I found him locked up behind that door, screaming bloody murder and looking absolutely terrified. I'm trying to calm him down, but it's not helping."

Ruby, Sapphire and Garin curled up next to the two boys, trying to soothe their master.

"I think Potter has been attacked," Snape commented and he held Harry's wand in his hands.

Remus and Sirius looked up sharply when they heard his comment. "What? By who?"

"I'm afraid that the only one who can answer that, is Potter himself. Unfortunately, he doesn't look able to answer right now," Snape sighed. "Let's bring him to my quarters where I can give him a Calming Draught."

With difficulty, Draco managed to get up with Harry in his arms. He gave him a quick kiss on his forehead and followed the three adults. He tightened his grip around Harry and inhaled the vanilla scent that clung to the boy. The ones who did this to him would pay a high price.


	25. Happy Valentine?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: drama, some angst, lime
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 25: Happy Valentine?**

When Snape told Draco to place Harry on his couch, it proved to be rather difficult, because Harry refused to lose his grip on Draco. Eventually it was decided that Draco sat down on the couch with Harry on his lap. Sirius and Remus sat on each side of Draco, rubbing Harry's back soothingly. Sapphire, Ruby and Garin were curled up at Draco's feet, seemingly asleep.

After a short search in his cabinets, Snape came back with a clear vial that contained a blue, bubbly liquid.

"Potter, I need you to drink this, before you die of hyperventilation," Snape said casually and handed over the vial.

"You have such a nice way of convincing people, Snivellus," Sirius said sarcastically.

Snape pointed at Harry, who was doing his best to drink the whole vial. "It worked, didn't it?"

Sirius snorted, but didn't retort.

One minute later, the potion took fully effect and Harry started to calm down until he just laid against Draco's chest, drawing patterns on it.

"Harry, can you tell me who attacked you?" Draco asked softly, his thumb rubbing Harry's hipbone in a soothing manner.

Harry took a deep breath and bit on his lower lip. He was feeling sleepy; the combination of screaming and reliving his nightmares of being locked up in the cupboard with the Calming Draught was hard for his exhausted body and mind.

"It was Ron with two other guys. I couldn't see their faces, because they kept out of my vision," he finally answered and hissed when he felt a sting on his hand.

Remus looked at him apologetically. "Sorry, but I need to clean these wounds on your hands, before they get infected," he murmured softly.

Harry nodded and tried to keep his hand still while Remus tended to it. Now that his attention was directed to it - his hands did hurt. Quite a lot actually.

"Did you recognize their voices?" Snape asked.

Harry shook his head, glad to have a distraction from the stinging pain. "No, sorry."

"Well, at least we know Weasley was one of them," Snape muttered, already plotting ways to make detention hell for that boy. Scrubbing cauldrons just wasn't bad enough in this case.

"Are you all right now?" Draco whispered in Harry's ear.

Harry nodded. "I'm sorry you had to see me like that," he whispered back, ashamed of his behaviour.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for. What happened wasn't your fault," Draco said sternly.

"What exactly did happen, pup?" Sirius asked softly, now stroking through Harry's black, messy hair.

"I wanted to go back to the dorms when Ron came up behind me and Stupefied me. He told the two other guys to stuff me in that small place before locking the door. He had taken my wand away so I couldn't use a spell to escape," Harry answered. After a sigh, he continued, "I don't know what happened next. I guess I started to panic. For some reason I was remembering all those times I was thrown in the cupboard."

Draco opened enraged his mouth to demand to know what Harry was talking about, but a sharp look from his godfather made him close his mouth again.

"And I … got lost in those memories, I think. I totally panicked and wanted to get out. I don't know how long I've been there, but I only remember Draco opening the door."

"Yes, about that, Draco, how did you know where Potter was? You said his pets brought you to him, but how could they have known?" Snape asked.

"I don't have a clue as to how they knew where Harry was. I was studying when they suddenly began to hiss and growl. After a few seconds of that, Layla appeared in the room and I think she talked to Garin, because after that they pulled me along with them. They led me to that room and I managed to open that door," Draco answered.

"Hm, that still doesn't explain how they knew that something was wrong with Harry before Layla warned them," Snape mused, feeling confused.

Suddenly, Draco remembered the two glowing spots on Harry's body when he had found him. They had vanished when he had pulled Harry out of that tiny room. Could those glowing spots have something to do with how his pets knew where Harry was?

"I don't know if this is relevant and useful, but when I found Harry, he was glowing at two spots on his body," Draco said hesitatingly.

Snape just looked at him quizzically, but Remus and Sirius shot up when they heard that.

"Really? Where were those glowing spots?" Remus asked, getting excited. If Draco pointed at the spots that Remus suspected, he knew in which book he had to search. If what he suspected was right, Harry's pets weren't just normal magical pets …

Draco pointed at Harry's side and his ankle.

"And you said that the animals were acting weird even before Layla told them where Harry was and what had happened?" Remus inquired, his amber coloured eyes shining.

Draco looked at him warily, not understanding why the man was so excited. "Yes."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Sirius asked grinning.

"Yes, I'm exactly thinking what you're thinking," Remus chuckled.

"Now that we've established that you share one brain – which I have always known – can you tell us what you're talking about?" Snape asked irritated.

"Harry, do you mind if I tell them about your marks?" Remus asked softly.

Harry tensed and for a while it was silent, until he answered softly, "No, I don't mind."

"A couple of weeks back, Harry came to us, because he had discovered two marks on his body that looked like runes. There is one on his side and one on his ankle," Remus started to explain. "They both stand for protection, but we couldn't figure out why and how they had appeared on his body."

Sirius took over from him. "Your father gave us some rare books about runes and rituals and we've searched through them for an answer. In one of those books, there was a short article about some magical animals that were able to put marks on the ones they considered their master. In some of those cases, the marks were used as a warning for the animals in case their master got attacked. The author of that article dismissed this as bullshit, because nobody had ever heard of an animal that marked their master in that way. But by the sound of your story, it seems that maybe the article was true. We need to research it more, but it seems that Harry is marked by Ruby and Garin. That's the only way to explain all this - the glowing spots and the fact that the animals knew what had happened before Layla told them," Sirius finished grinning.

"But what about Sapphire? She's a normal cat, but she was hissing and growling like the others," Draco said confused. He was trying to sort through all that information. So Harry was marked by Ruby and Garin and that's why they knew what had happened to him before Layla had told them. That was just … weird.

Sirius shrugged. "Cats are known to have a sixth sense. That's why they always have been associated with magic. She probably had a feeling something bad had happened and reacted to it."

Draco wanted to ask Harry why he hadn't told him about the marks when he noticed that Harry had fallen asleep. He sighed. "I better take him to the dorms. He's asleep."

Snape nodded. "Let me know when he wakes up. If he's still affected, then I can bring him more calming potions."

Draco nodded and carefully stood up, not wanting to wake up Harry. "See you later, professors."

The three men nodded and watched how he walked out the room with Harry in his arms, the three animals leading the way.

"All right, how are we going to punish Weasley?" Remus asked calmly, but his eyes were shifting to a bright gold, a sign that the wolf inside him was close to the surface.

"Severely, that's for sure," Snape commented nonchalantly and leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed.

"I can't believe he would do something like that." Sirius shook his head incredulously. "When did it go _that_ bad between them?"

"I suspect it went downhill the moment Potter decided to befriend Draco," Snape replied.

Remus sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Does someone have an idea for the punishment?"

"Whatever we come up with, we still have to bring him to Dumbledore," Snape replied after a silence. "This is not some innocent prank. Not only did they stupefy him; they stole his wand and locked him up in a closet. They probably didn't know he would get lost in his memories, but they still attacked a fellow student. Plus they had no purpose being here on a Saturday."

"Do you think Dumbledore will do something about Weasley?" Sirius asked sceptically.

"He has to; it would be awkward if some people of the Ministry got involved in this," Remus suddenly smirked viciously.

The two other men stared at him.

"And with other people - who do you mean with that?" Sirius asked eagerly.

"Oh, it could be the new Minister; I heard the Minister has never liked our Headmaster," Remus smirked, his golden coloured eyes gleaming in the firelight from the fireplace. "But it can be Lucius too; I imagine he would love to take Dumbledore a few notches down."

"You're evil, wolf," Snape commented flatly.

Remus smiled; he guessed this was Snape's way of saying that he approved of his plan.

"Since when are Gryffindors so vicious?" Snape asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Harry is my family," Remus simply answered.

* * *

Nott didn't look up when Draco entered the room with Harry in his arms. He only smirked and turned another page of his book.

"Did you make him that tired that you had to carry him back here? My, he even passed out," Nott smirked, enjoying the glare that was thrown at him.

"Listen here, you fucked up asshole, I'm not in the mood to deal with your shit," Draco hissed and placed Harry down on his bed, because this was closer. "Go annoy the hell out of someone else."

Nott chuckled and closed his book. "And here I thought you would be nicer if you had fucked that little whore." He clucked his tongue.

He could barely avoid the Bone Crushing curse Draco threw at him in his rage. "Guess that's my clue to fuck off, right?" he laughed harshly and disappeared from the room.

Draco breathed harshly and sat down next to Harry. Nott had always been an annoying pain in the arse, but he had never acted that hostile. He briefly wondered what was wrong with that boy, but decided it wasn't worth it. He stretched out his body to lie next to Harry and softly pulled him into his arms. Harry sighed in his sleep and turned around, facing Draco's chest. He snuggled a bit before falling into a deeper sleep. Draco started to stroke his black hair, all the while trying to come up with the worst ways of punishing Weasley.

* * *

A lonely, dark shadow slipped through the giant entrance doors of the castle. The person looked around him, but apparently found nothing, because he quickly made his way to the Forbidden Forest. The person seemed to know where he was going, even though it was quite dark in the forest. After half an hour walking through bushes and avoiding the paths, the person came to a halt in a small clearing. The sunlight barely managed to make it through the thick leaves, which made the clearing rather dark. Still it was enough to see if someone came in the clearing.

After waiting for five more minutes, another person stepped into the clearing. He wore a long, black robe and had his face hidden behind a mask. The masked person stopped right in front of the shorter one.

"Do you have news?" the cloaked one asked monotonously.

"Not much," the shorter one replied. "Malfoy is together with Potter now."

The other's wand spit out red sparks. "That is not exclusive news; all the papers reported it – everyone in this country knows that. Come with something better."

"I know that the papers printed that – but did they also print that Malfoy is extremely protective of that Halfblood?" The shorter one smirked. "When the mother of those Weasleys sent the Halfblood a letter stating how 'disappointed' she was that he was a fag, Malfoy flew into a rage. I couldn't gather what he did, but considering even Snape was smirking it must have been something vicious."

"Does this overprotectiveness have some sort of relevance?" the longer one asked impatiently.

"Not necessarily the overprotectiveness, but Potter is rather insecure. I can see it in his body language when he's around Malfoy – which is almost constantly I might add – it shows that even though they are in a 'relationship', Potter doesn't fully trust Malfoy. I suspect that if the right 'seeds', so to speak, are planted, Potter will very soon start doubting Malfoy and avoid him – which will be one person less to watch over him," the other one replied satisfied.

"And am I right in thinking you can plant those 'seeds'?" the masked man asked.

"Of course, leave that to me," the younger one smirked again, his dark eyes gleaming viciously.

"Is there anything else you can report to the Dark Lord?"

"Tell him that his Potions Master isn't as loyal to him as he thinks he is."

The man straightened his back at hearing that, tensing. "What do you mean by that?"

"Just like I said; Snape isn't loyal to the Dark Lord."

"Why do you think that?"

"Ever since Potter joined Slytherin, he has gotten soft. He has started caring for the boy and I don't doubt he has been passing information about the Dark Lord and his plans to the old coot."

"The Dark Lord won't be pleased to hear that. Although it explains why the Order of the Phoenix were aware of our plans before we could execute them. Except with the attack during the holidays. If I remember correctly, Snape wasn't aware of those attacks. Interesting. A traitor in our middle; I'm glad I'm not in his place when the Dark Lord punishes him," the other man mused. "Is that all?"

The shorter person nodded brusquely.

"Very well. Keep collecting information," the man ordered before disappearing in the forest.

The person who was left over smirked. "Things are going to get ugly for some of us," he chuckled darkly, before making his way back to the castle.

* * *

"So, Severus thinks he can betray us that easily," the soft hissing voice of Tom Riddle spoke. His bony white hand clenched around his wand, his red eyes glowing in the darkness of the room. One of his most trusted servants had betrayed him for the old fool; how very unwise of him. "Wormtail, get Lucius now," he hissed.

Wormtail squeaked in fear and ran as fast as he could to the door; he wasn't fast enough and got hit by a 'Crucio!'

For several minutes, Voldemort kept torturing the rat, making him scream and beg for mercy until he had enough of it and released him from the curse. "For being a rat, you aren't fast enough, Wormtail," Voldemort chuckled darkly, stroking over his snake's head, Nagini.

Wormtail sniffled and crawled out of the room.

" _I think you deserve a treat, my dear Nagini ,_" Voldemort hissed in Parseltongue. " _What do you say about a rat?"_

Nagini curled up in her master's lap and hissed out an approval, her milky eyes glowing with hunger. She had always wondered how that big rat would taste like.

"My Lord." Lucius entered the room and bowed in front of Voldemort, kneeling in front of him.

"Stand up, Lucius," Voldemort spoke annoyed.

Lucius rose up again, his grey eyes looking calmly at his supposed 'master'.

"I need you to do something."

"Anything, my Lord."

"One of my servants made me aware of a traitor in our middle."

Lucius said nothing, though inwardly, he tensed up. Did Voldemort suspect him?

"Our spy in Hogwarts informed us that Severus Snape has been a traitor for years," Voldemort continued, looking sharply for any suspicious emotion on Lucius' face. He didn't find any. "I want you to pay him a visit and make him aware of what happens when someone dares to betray me."

Inwardly Lucius was shocked. Severus had been found out? How? He had been so careful. "Does he have to be alive after my visit, my Lord?" he asked, though he was disgusted.

Voldemort laughed; a harsh, cold laugh that resonated through the entire room and bounced back. "No, dispose of him."

Lucius bowed. "Yes, my Lord."

"You may leave now."

Lucius bowed one last time and immediately left the room, trying to figure out how he was going to save Severus and who the traitor was. If it was one of the students in Slytherin, his son and Harry would be in great danger.

When Lucius had left, Voldemort conjured up a cage that took up half of the room. He put his snake in it and summoned Wormtail. Tom Riddle was a very patient man, but even he had his limits. Wormtail had nothing more to offer him. He was literally nothing more than a waste of air.

_At least he's useful as a treat for my dear Nagini_ , Voldemort thought, chuckling darkly.

Wormtail entered the room, still sniffling. "Wh – what ca – can I – I d – do for y – you, my Lo – Lord?" he stuttered fearfully, his beady eyes watering.

"Get in that cage," Voldemort ordered calmly and settled back in his chair.

Wormtail looked at the cage and froze up when he saw the snake lying in it, staring hungrily at him. He may not be a genius like his old friend Remus had been, but even his small brain understood that if he entered that cage, he wouldn't escape it alive.

"Bu – but my Lo – Lord," he squeaked in fear and started to tremble. "Ple – please, wha – whatever I – I did wro – wrong, I – I can ma –make it up to – to you, m – my Lo – Lord."

"If you want to make up for what you did wrong, enter that cage," Voldemort hissed, not pleased with his servant's refusal.

"Bu – but …"

"NOW!" Voldemort pointed his wand at him, annoyed at having to do it by himself and with jerky, tiny steps Wormtail entered the cage, Voldemort sealing the door behind him.

Wormtail could do nothing more than squeak fearfully, pressing himself against the furthest bar in futile hopes to escape the hungry snake.

"It is quite fitting, don't you think; you are a rat and my snake eats rat," Voldemort chuckled darkly, his red eyes glowing viciously when he stared at the cage. " _Enjoy your feast, Nagini,"_ he hissed.

The other Death Eaters could hear four screams echoing down the stony walls of their temporarily hide out. They shivered when they thought of the poor soul that had angered their master.

* * *

Hundred miles away, Harry shot up in his bed, panting and sweating. He swept his hair out of his eyes and tried to calm down. He had had another vision of Voldemort. He tried to remember all the details so he could warn Snape. Wormtail had been eaten by Nagini (for that Harry was happy; he had never liked the traitorous rat. He was sure Sirius would be happy about that too) and Snape had been discovered as a spy. Lucius was sent to kill him. This was just dandy.

He felt Draco sitting up behind him and two arms snaked around his waist, pulling him against a hard chest.

"Harry, what's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" Draco asked sleepily.

"I have to go talk with Snape," Harry replied and got out of Draco's grip.

"I'll go with you," Draco said immediately and climbed out of the bed.

"What? No, you don't have to. I can go on my own," Harry protested and grabbed his wand.

"Harry, I'm not letting you go alone. You were just attacked – who says it won't happen again?" Draco said annoyed.

Harry clenched his jaw and tightened his fists. It had only been a few hours since he had been locked up, but he wanted to forget about that. All right, he had broken down and he had gotten slightly hysterical – Harry was still deeply ashamed of that; what was he, a girl? – but he wanted to forget about that. He would be more careful now, that's all.

"Draco …" Harry said warningly through clenched teeth.

Draco shook his head. "I won't argue about this with you, Harry. Let's go."

Harry glared and when Draco offered his hand, he refused to take it and went out of the room. Draco sighed; he had forgotten how stubborn Harry could be.

They arrived at Snape's quarters in complete silence; Harry was still mad that Draco treated him like a child.

Harry knocked on the door and after one minute, the door opened. Snape raised an eyebrow when he saw the couple standing before him.

"Potter, please tell me that you weren't locked up again?" Snape sighed.

Harry narrowed his eyes. "No, I had a vision about Voldemort."

Draco gasped and looked at him in shock. He had thought Harry had had a nightmare.

Snape stared at him and then motioned for the boys to enter the room. The boys took a seat on the couch and Snape made sure to create a shield around them to prevent others from potentially eavesdropping.

"Tell me about it," Snape ordered and took a seat across from the boys.

"Voldemort has given Wormtail to his snake Nagini, so he's dead by now," Harry started to tell and he couldn't help the tiny smirk that had appeared on his face when he said that. The smirk disappeared when he continued, "But Voldemort knows you're a spy now. He has a spy here in Hogwarts and he told him that. He sent Lucius to kill you."

Draco could hardly avoid his mouth dropping open. His godfather had been found out. He was now on Voldemort's killing list too.

"Well, this is rather unfortunate," Snape muttered. "I wonder how I was found out. Did you tell anyone else about this, Potter?"

"No, I came immediately to you, sir," Harry replied and bit on his lower lip. "Do you know what you're going to do now, sir?"

Snape sighed. "Obviously I can't go to any meetings anymore; my role as spy is over. I have to stay in Hogwarts I'm afraid."

"But what about father?" Draco asked worriedly.

"I don't think Lucius will try to kill me, Draco," Snape snorted.

"No, that's not what I asked; Voldemort ordered father to kill you. He has a spy here in the school. What happens if the spy tells him that father didn't kill you?" Draco asked and his hands clenched in his pants.

"I hadn't thought of that," Snape admitted. "I'm afraid he will have to stop his spying too. We can't risk him getting killed." He looked at Harry. "How are you feeling now, Potter?"

"I'm fine, really," Harry sighed.

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Really? You seemed not so fine, just a few hours ago."

Harry narrowed his eyes. "That was a few hours ago; I'm fine now."

Snape rolled his eyes. "If you say so." He looked at the clock. "It's time for dinner. I see you two in the Great Hall."

The two boys nodded and left the room.

When Harry refused to talk or look at him, Draco sighed and grabbed his arm to stop him.

"What?" Harry asked annoyed and crossed his arms, jerking his arm back.

"All right, I'm sorry, okay. I didn't want to make you feel like a child, but I was scared when I saw the state you were in when I found you in that closet," Draco said softly. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"Draco, I understand that, but I can take care of myself. I'm not a little child you have to take care of and hold his hand," Harry sighed. Damn it, he could never stay mad for a long time.

Suddenly Draco chuckled, breaking the tense air between them. "Oh, I know you're not a little child," he said and eyed Harry's body for which he received a smack to his arm for.

"Pervert," Harry muttered and huffed.

Draco chuckled again and his hand grabbed Harry's. Harry intertwined their fingers and they made their way to the Great Hall.

* * *

"I need to speak to you about two things later, Headmaster," Snape murmured to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore looked at him surprised, but smiled and nodded. "Of course, Severus, you can come by my office after dinner."

After he had made sure that Dumbledore's attention was caught by someone else, Snape turned to Remus who sat next to him.

"Wolf, I'm going to talk to Albus about Potter and Weasley – are you coming too?" he murmured.

Remus looked at him surprised, but nodded. "Of course, I will tell Sirius."

To Snape, the dinner went by excruciatingly slow; he needed to talk about his and Lucius' role as spy and he had to make sure Weasley got punished. Snape had a feeling that the last matter would be the hardest to accomplish. The Weasleys were an important part of the Order of the Phoenix; Dumbledore wouldn't want to punish one of the members of that family – especially not if Molly Weasley discovered that. On the other hand, he and Draco had taken the woman a few pecks down after that letter she sent to Potter. He had never suspected Molly Weasley to reject someone because he was gay. On the other hand, she had always dreamt of Potter marrying her daughter. He looked at the Slytherin table and spotted his godson sitting next to Potter, scowling at Blaise while Potter was laughing.

Snape had expected Potter to be more depressed or anxious, tense maybe after what had happened to him today. It should have quite affected him, considering they had just stopped talking about all the times he was locked up in a small and dark cupboard. And yet, here he was, laughing and joking around. Either Potter was extremely good at wearing a mask (and that would be very worrisome, because what else was the boy keeping from all of them if that was the case?) or he was suppressing the event, stuffing it away in his sub consciousness (and that in itself was worrisome too, because it would cause more problems for the boy later).

Snape didn't know why he cared about how Potter felt. He wasn't very empathetic, though he could relate to Potter on some matters of his childhood. Still, that was no excuse; in his House, there had been plenty of students that had had a similar home life like he had had. Sure he had listened to them when they came to him to talk about their problems, but that was just it; they came to him and as the Head of their House, he had obligations to listen to him and try to help him if it was possible. Potter hadn't come to him to talk about his problems. If Snape hadn't forced him, he would never have started talking about it. So, why was he so concerned with Potter? Could it be that he wanted to help the boy, because he was Lily's son? Lily had been his only friend; he had been devastated when he heard about her death.

Snape shook his head softly; thinking about his possible reasons gave him a headache. He would muse on it later; when he had a bottle of Firewhiskey in hand reach.

* * *

"All right, Ron, why are you mad now? Just half an hour ago you were laughing," Hermione sighed. _Laughing rather maniacally_ , she added in thought.

Ron scowled in the direction of the Slytherin table where the boy he had locked up, was now laughing and talking to his friends. He had planned it all perfectly. The closet was in a deserted corridor; it should have taken hours for someone to find him. So why was he here now? How had he managed to escape the closet? He narrowed his eyes. He would have to think about something to make his life miserable.

"Nothing to worry about, 'Mione," he muttered absentmindedly.

Hermione looked at him worriedly, but didn't react. She wasn't stupid; she had seen the glare her boyfriend was throwing at their former best friend Harry. To be honest, she wasn't sure how to feel about Harry. Yes, she was mad at him for dropping them and going to Malfoy. It had stung her that Harry would rather be friends with someone who had taunted them for years (and had called her Mudblood several times) than with the ones he knew from his first year. They had been there for his numerous adventures; where had Malfoy been? Safely in the castle. So, of course she was suspicious about Malfoy's motives when he offered Harry a truce and wanted to be friends. Now they were even a couple! Hermione wasn't against gays – she just had never expected Harry to be gay.

She sneaked a glance at Harry who was sitting next to Malfoy. He looked happy. Even from the other side of the Great Hall, she could see his green eyes sparkling and a blush appearing on his cheeks when Malfoy gave him a kiss.

Hermione sighed and started shoving her food back and forth on her plate. She hated feeling confused and having doubts. Had she done well with her decision to take revenge on Harry? The potion was ready to be used, but she began to hesitate. What if Harry reacted worse than they expected? She didn't want to kill him! She would have to think about it more, later in the silence of her room.

* * *

"Don't we have to get Harry too?" Remus asked worriedly, when dinner was over and the students started to leave the hall.

Snape shook his head. "No, only if we need to."

Remus looked doubtfully, but didn't argue further.

"All right, my boys, how can I help you?" Dumbledore asked with a smile, offering them lemon drops, which they politely declined.

"First of all, the Dark Lord has discovered I'm a spy and he sends Lucius to kill me," Snape began calmly.

Sirius blinked and Remus gasped in shock.

"How do you know about that, Severus?" Dumbledore inquired, his blue eyes dimming.

"Potter came to me a few hours ago. He had had a vision. The Dark Lord ordered Lucius to kill me, because a spy in the school had told him about my alliances," Snape answered, almost sounding bored. "Oh, and he gave Wormtail to his snake Nagini."

That caught Sirius' attention. "What? You mean that cowardly, sniveling, weak low life is dead now?"

Snape nodded, rolling his eyes.

"Damn it, I wanted to be the one to kill that rat," Sirius cursed softly.

"Too bad," Snape sneered.

"So, young Harry had another vision," Dumbledore muttered. "I wonder why he didn't come to me."

Snape bit on his tongue to hold the rude comment back and replied, "Perhaps he thought that you were too busy."

"Perhaps." Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully.

"What are we going to do now?" Remus asked and bit on his lower lip. They hadn't counted in their plan that it could go wrong and that Snape would be exposed as spy.

"Obviously, Severus needs to stay here in the castle. If he goes to Tom now, Tom won't hold back," Dumbledore sighed. He cursed inwardly. Severus had been an excellent spy, even though the man hadn't wanted to take the job. It was good he had something to hold over the man's head.

"Lucius will need to stay somewhere safe too," Snape interjected, crossing his arms.

Dumbledore looked at him surprised. "Why? He's not exposed as spy, is he?"

"Not now, but if the Dark Lord has a spy here in the school, he will be immediately reported if Lucius doesn't kill me, which will expose his role," Snape answered annoyed.

"That's unfortunate," Dumbledore muttered. Another spy he couldn't use anymore; it really wasn't his day. For one moment, he toyed with the thought of faking Snape's death, but it would be too much of a hassle to keep Snape hidden (not that the man would want that) and to search for his replacement as the Head of Slytherin. It was important that Snape was the Head, because most children in Slytherin came from Dark families and searched for support by the dark man. Usually it would give the headmaster some useful information about the children's families. He sighed. "We need to find a place for Lucius to hide. I'll think of something."

Snape nodded and decided that the first matter was finished. "There is still something else I need to talk to you about."

Dumbledore looked at him. "What is it, Severus?"

Snape glanced at the two other men in the room and when they gave him a slight nod (well, Remus gave him a nod; Sirius was still too busy gloating about Peter's death), he started to inform the headmaster about what had happened to Potter just a few hours prior.

When he had finished, Dumbledore sighed and closed his eyes. He had been afraid that Ron would go too far. He could understand why the red haired boy was mad with Potter, but it had been reckless to do something like that. Especially because Potter had seen his face. The old man cursed the boy's stupidity. How dense could you be to let your victim see your face? He had to know that Potter would tell someone about what had happened.

"Well, what are you going to do about that?" Remus demanded to know.

"I know it sounds severe, but are you sure it isn't just a prank that went a little too far?" Dumbledore tried to soothe the men.

"Albus, Mister Weasley wasn't playing a prank on Harry. He did it to harm him – he even threw Harry's wand away and spelled the door shut. That isn't some harmless prank," Remus argued, his golden coloured eyes flashing a bit.

"What do you want me to do?" Dumbledore sighed inwardly.

"Talk to his parents; we'll punish him, but his parents have to be alerted, before he goes too far," Snape bit out.

"What punishment are you going to give him?" Dumbledore asked, a little worried. It wouldn't do to annihilate the Weasleys. They were the most important family in the Wizarding World; he didn't want to anger Molly.

"That's something Weasley has to be worried about." Snape curled his lip up.

"Fine, I'll talk to Molly and Arthur, but maybe you should tell Harry that he has to talk with Ron. I'm sure they can get over their differences. They were best friends after all." Dumbledore admitted defeat – for now.

"It's Weasley who's being difficult," Sirius snapped. "He made Harry choose between him and Hermione and Draco. Tell me, what kind of best friend are you if you make your friend choose?"

"You know as well as I do that Mister Malfoy has been very hostile towards them for years. It's understandable that Ron has difficulties with him," Dumbledore argued back.

Sirius snorted. "Funny how Harry managed to forgive Draco."

Dumbledore sighed; you just couldn't argue with Black. "Was there something else?"

"No, that was all. Will you let me know what the Weasleys have to say about their son?" Snape asked nonchalantly, but his voice carried a threat. If Dumbledore didn't tell the Weasleys about their son's actions, he would make sure they would be notified about it. And he wouldn't be sugarcoating it.

"Of course," Dumbledore smiled thinly, resisting the urge to rub his temples. He could feel a headache coming up.

The three men nodded to him and left him alone. Dumbledore sighed and cursed. Now he had to tell Molly that her son was going too far. He could already imagine the conversation; it wouldn't be pretty. Besides that, he had to figure out where he would put Lucius to keep him safe – though he didn't want to. One Malfoy less, who would care about it? Still, he had to keep the blond man safe. Now that Potter was together with the younger Malfoy, he would be no doubt worried about his father in law.

Which brought him to another point. Potter and Malfoy. How in the world had they ended up together? Never had he imagined that Potter would be gay. He had thought that with a bit of persuasion, Potter would choose for the youngest Weasley, Ginny. Why did that boy have to be so difficult? Thinking about someone being difficult brought him to Sirius Black. He really needed to find a way to keep that man apart from Potter. But how? Sending him on a dangerous mission had proven to be futile. So how … A smirk appeared on the old man's face. Yes, that would work best. Now he only had to find a way to make it happen. Dumbledore chuckled and popped a lemon drop in his mouth. Black could better appreciate the time he had left with his godson; he wouldn't have it for long.

* * *

When Lucius arrived at Hogwarts, he was relieved to hear that Snape would be safe and managed to convince the coot to let him stay at one of his manors. It beat staying at Grimmauld Place.

Although it still sucked that he had to wear a disguise if he wanted to go out. Aside from Snape he was on the black list of Voldemort now too.

* * *

Ron nearly exploded when Snape told him his punishment. For one month straight he had to help Hagrid in the Forbidden Forest at night and in the weekends; in the evening he had to clean the dungeons. The worst thing was that Hagrid expected from him to feed the giant spiders he had met in his second year. He would deny it later, but when he heard of his tasks, he had fainted right on the spot.

He had thought that Hagrid would have mercy with him, but unfortunately for him, Sirius had informed the half giant what exactly had happened and Hagrid had been angry. He couldn't believe that Ron would do something like that to someone he had once considered his best friend. That's why Hagrid had chosen the giant spiders as punishment – he knew Ron had arachnophobia.

Ron was not amused with this and swore he would take revenge on Harry.

* * *

The end of January was nearing and Nott had decided that it was time to mess with Potter's head. It was nearly Valentine and it seemed like a good idea to start his plan now. He had to be very patient; it was nearly impossible to catch Potter alone. Just when he was thinking about Stupefying Malfoy to get rid of him, he had his chance presented to him. It was on a Thursday evening. Malfoy had to go talk with Snape and Potter had settled himself in one of the couches in front of the fire with a book in his hands.

He was still blushing; an aftereffect of having Draco kissing the living daylights out of him. They hadn't had time to repeat the moment in the Room of Requirement, because they had been too busy, but Harry was hoping they would get to repeat it soon – his blush intensified.

He looked up surprised when he felt someone sitting on the same couch as him and tensed when he recognized the boy.

Nott was smirking at him. "Hey Potter."

Harry looked at him warily and nodded curtly. He didn't know how to react to the boy sitting next to him. They never had really talked to each other, aside from Nott giving some snidely remarks. Why would Nott choose to sit with him?

"May I ask you a question?" Nott asked nonchalantly.

"I suppose," Harry muttered and closed his book.

"How's your relationship going with Draco?"

Harry blinked at the unexpected question. "Eh, good."

"How far did you two go?"

Harry reddened. "I'm not telling you that!"

Nott snorted. "Calm down; it was just a harmless question."

"Why do you ask those questions?"

"Because I figured that someone has to warn you about Draco."

"Excuse me?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Has Draco told you how many lovers he has had before you?"

"No." Harry narrowed his eyes, ignoring the little voice in his head that told him to go away and ignore Nott.

"Well, to be honest, I lost the count, but trust me when I say it's many," Nott scoffed.

"So? Why are you telling me this?" Harry snapped. He had been a little taken back when Nott had told him Draco had had many lovers, but maybe Nott was over exaggerating. Draco couldn't have had so many lovers before him, right?

"Do you want to know how they looked like and how long they lasted?" Nott asked, concealing a smirk. If Potter saw his smirk now, he would never believe him.

Harry didn't say anything and even refused to look the other boy in the eyes. Why should he care how Draco's past lovers looked like or how long they lasted?

"They had dark hair and blue or green eyes," Nott continued to talk. "And they lasted until Draco had fucked them for a few times. Then they were dumped. Do you see the connection, Potter? You have dark hair and green eyes. Exactly like all the others. Guess it's some sort of fetish of him." Nott shrugged. "Anyway, I thought I would warn you. There's a chance that he has changed, but I would watch out if I were you. Draco is just addicted to sex. He'll do anything to get it. So you better watch out if you don't want to be another notch on his belt." With that he left Harry sitting on the couch. Nott smirked and made his way to the dorms. He knew he had made Potter doubting Malfoy. Everyone with a brain could see how easily it was to make Potter doubtful. Now he just had to sit back and enjoy the show.

Harry didn't look up when Nott left. He was biting on his lip and mulling over Nott's information. Was it true? Was Draco that addicted to sex? Would Draco dump him once he got what he wanted? Harry wasn't ready to have sex with him yet and unwillingly Nott had made him doubting his relationship. Draco wouldn't dump him after they had had sex, right? He wouldn't do that. Harry didn't like these doubting feelings. Why would he believe Nott anyway? Nott had never been friendly to him; who said this wasn't another attempt to screw with his mind? Yes, Nott was just lying to him; Draco wouldn't dump him. Harry nodded confidently and buried himself back in his book. Yes, it was stupid to doubt Draco.

Even though he has assured himself, there was still something lingering in the back of his mind. He wouldn't forget this conversation easily.

* * *

Three hours later Draco turned up again. With a sigh, he plopped next to Harry on the couch and pulled the dark haired boy on his lap.

"How did it go with Snape?" Harry asked softly and closed his book. They were practically alone in the common room now.

"He had sat up a connection between his fireplace and that of father, so that I could talk to him," Draco answered and absentmindedly traced patterns on Harry's back, pulling the boy closer to him by his hips.

"How is your father doing?" Harry asked curiously, settling his head on the blond's shoulder.

"Great, though he's complaining about the lack of human contact," Draco smirked, though he was relieved that his father wasn't in danger.

Harry smiled. "That sounds like your father."

Draco chuckled and one of his hands came to rest on Harry's arse. When he gave it a squeeze, Harry stopped his hand and hissed, "Not here, there are people here now."

Draco smirked. "Relax, the last ones are now in their dorms; it's just you and me now," he whispered and before Harry could voice his protest; his lips were covered by the blond's ones. With a soft sigh, he opened his mouth and let Draco's tongue in his mouth. Draco coaxed his tongue in a slow battle and pressed Harry's body even closer; pushing their hips together. Harry clasped his arms around Draco's neck and mewled softly. Just when he started to enjoy the snogging, he felt Draco's hand slipping underneath his shirt, caressing his lower stomach. He gasped a little at the contact, but enjoyed it; it was nothing that they hadn't done before. He moaned softly and tore his lips apart to gulp some air back in his lungs. Draco took advantage of that and began sucking a spot in his neck, creating another love bite. However when Draco's other hand started groping his arse, he was remembered of Nott's warning, " _Draco is addicted to sex; he'll do anything to get it. Afterwards he dumps them."_

Harry frowned and pushed Draco's hands away; the mood lost. Damn it, why couldn't he just forget about Nott and his stupid warnings?

Draco looked at him confused. "Harry, what's wrong?" he asked, a bit breathless. Why had he pushed him away? The fun had just started.

"I'm a little tired, Dray. Can we go to the dorms?" Harry muttered and stood up. He didn't know why he just wouldn't tell Draco about Nott, but something in him stopped him. Did he really want to know how many lovers Draco had had? It was bad enough knowing he wasn't Draco's first.

Draco furrowed his eyebrows, but shrugged. "Fine; let's go." His arm sneaked around Harry's waist and pulled him to his body.

After a quick goodnight kiss, they both went to sleep in their own beds; Harry still thinking about Nott's warning. He didn't like the way it had affected him.

* * *

Nott glanced from out the corner of his eye to the couple sitting a few seats in front of him. He couldn't contain the smirk on his face when he saw how tense Potter was sitting next to Malfoy. So Potter had taken his 'warnings' to heart; this was going to be fun.

* * *

It was the first week of February when Pansy had had enough. She had enough of seeing Potter kissing with _her_ Draco and holding _her_ Draco's hand. It was time that Potter knew his place. Sadly she would need the Weaselette's help for it.

Her plan was simple; she still had the pictures of every lover her Draco had had. And that was a lot. All she had to do was show those pictures to Potter and let him realize that he just was another toy to her Draco. The problem was that to show those pictures, she would have to get him alone. And for that to happen, she would need someone to lure Potter to her. Her best option? Ginny Weasley. As loathe as she was to admit, that stupid ginger girl was her best chance at getting Potter alone.

"Weasley," Pansy said curtly and sat next to the red haired girl.

Ginny looked up warily. "What do you want?"

"Now, now, don't be so rude to the one who's going to get you the boy of your dreams," Pansy smirked. It had been easy to discover what the girl would want in exchange for her help - Potter. Weasley had a huge crush on him and that was a good thing for Pansy. She would get Draco and the Weaselette could get Potter.

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked suspiciously, but also hopefully.

"I have several pictures of Draco's former lovers. If Potter sees those, he'll realize he and Draco would never make a good couple. He'll break it off with Draco and you'll get Potter while I get Draco," Pansy explained. Best to be blunt with Gryffindors.

"And can I do something?" Ginny asked excitedly. She couldn't wait to have Harry all to herself. Sure, he would be upset about the break up, but Ginny would make sure he would forget about Malfoy soon.

"Yes, I need you to get Potter and bring him to the library where I'll show him those pictures," Pansy answered smirking.

"Why don't you go to him?" Ginny asked confused.

"Do you really think Potter will want to talk to me? He trusts you," Pansy smiled.

Ginny smiled back and her brown eyes sparkled. "When do you need me to bring him to you?"

"What do you think of next Friday?"

"Perfect."

* * *

Harry walked out of the Room of Requirement as fast as he could when the club meeting was done. He didn't want to admit it, but ever since Nott had warned him about Draco, he tried to avoid all the situations where Draco could get encouraged to do more than kissing. If Nott was right (and Merlin he hoped that he wasn't right) and Draco would indeed dump him after they had had sex, he wanted to draw it out. He didn't want to be another notch on Draco's belt.

Unconsciously he had paid attention to how many times Draco would try to do more with him. It was every time they were alone, that Draco would start kissing him and trying to do more with him. He didn't force Harry to anything, but he would still try to take their relationship to the next level. Nott had been right about that; Draco was addicted to sex.

So now he tried to avoid any situation where he was left alone with Draco – which Draco didn't really appreciate. Of course he realized that wasn't a real solution.

Draco appeared next to him and grabbed his hand. "Well, that was a fun club meeting," he chuckled, remembering the heat spell that had sent Blaise's hair on fire.

"Hm," Harry murmured.

Just when Draco was about to suggest they would wait until the Room of Requirement was empty so that they could spend some 'quality' time together, a voice stopped them.

"Harry, can I talk to you?" Ginny asked nervously.

Harry blinked. He hadn't really talked to Ginny in months and wondered what she wanted to talk about.

"Sure." He shrugged, not seeing any harm in just talking.

Draco glared at the girl in front of him and tightened his grip on Harry's hand.

"Eh, alone, if that's possible?" Ginny suggested timidly, trying to ignore the glare of the blond boy.

Harry looked at her surprised. "Of course. I'll see you in the dorms, Dray," he muttered and gave the blond boy a quick kiss on his mouth.

Draco sighed at his missed chance and nodded before walking off.

"All right, Ginny, what do you want to talk about?" Harry asked curiously.

"Eh, could you follow me to the library, Harry? That's more private," Ginny suggested and bit on her lip.

Harry looked at her suspiciously, but shrugged. If she tried anything, he had his wand hidden in his sleeve to protect himself.

He followed her to the library and tensed when Ginny led him to a table where Parkinson was sitting.

"Ginny, what is the meaning of this? I thought you wanted to talk with me?" Harry asked and narrowed his eyes, secretly gripping his wand tightly. For one brief moment, he figured it would have been useful if he had brought his pets with him, because they seemed so keen on protecting him, but he had left them in the dorms, figuring they would need to rest.

"Relax Potter, I won't hex you," Pansy snorted and pulled something from her bag. "I just wanted to show you something."

"Oh yeah? What did you want to show me?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"These pictures. Just wanted to let you know what you're in for if you stay with Drakie," Pansy said nonchalantly and pushed the pictures in Harry's hand before standing up. "Let's go back to the tower, Weasley, before McGonagall has a fit."

Ginny casted a longing look at Harry, but followed the other girl reluctantly.

When Miss Prince snapped at him to get out of her library, Harry hurried outside where he leaned against the wall. He took a deep breath, wondered briefly why everyone wanted to warn him about Draco and glanced at the pictures. All the pictures contained a dark haired boy with Draco. In every photo, Draco was smiling and kissing the boy. You didn't need to be a genius to figure out that these boys were Draco's past lovers. So now he finally knew how many lovers Draco had had before him. It had to be at least twenty boys. Harry crumpled up the pictures and set them on fire with a whispered Incendio. He wondered why it hurt so much to see those past lovers. It was like he thought; they were past lovers. And they were all dark haired with light coloured eyes. Fuck. Would he end up like those boys too? Just a memory in a picture? Just someone Draco could amuse himself with until he got what he wanted and then dump him like all those other boys?

A lump formed in Harry's throat and he slowly made his way back to the dorms. What should he do now? Break up with Draco before Draco would hurt him? He didn't want to break up with him; he had never been so happy as he was with Draco.

* * *

Draco looked up and smiled when he saw his boyfriend entering the common room. "There you are. I almost thought you were cheating on me," he joked and beckoned the other boy to him.

Harry avoided his eyes. "I'm tired; that club meeting was a bit too much I think. I'm going to bed," he announced.

"What, now already? It's only ten p.m," Draco protested.

"I'm tired, Draco," Harry said annoyed and marched off to the dorms, leaving a confused Draco behind.

"What the hell happened? Have I done something wrong?" Draco wondered, not understanding why Harry was suddenly annoyed with him. He shrugged and decided to read a bit before he went to sleep too. He wasn't that tired.

* * *

If Harry was trying to avoid Draco when he remembered Nott's warning, he was really avoiding his boyfriend now that he had seen those pictures. He didn't want to be another toy that Draco used and then discarded. He was a human being with emotions, damn it!

But because he didn't want to face Draco, he did his best to avoid him.

* * *

It was only five days until Valentine when Draco finally got fed up with Harry's disappearing acts. It annoyed him that Harry was trying to avoid him and it left him wondering what had went wrong between the two of them.

Just like a few months ago, he cornered his boyfriend in one of the dungeons, trapping him between his arms.

"All right, I can tell you this already, Harry, that I never liked playing Hide and Seek," Draco said annoyed.

"What are you talking about, Draco?" Harry asked irritated, crossing his arms.

Draco scoffed. "Don't play stupid: you've been avoiding me and I want to know why."

"I'm not avoiding you."

"Yes, you are and you're going to tell me why."

For a moment it was silent until Harry blurted out, "If you have fucked me, are you going to dump me like you did to all those other boys?" He bit on his lip and cursed himself for blurting it out like that.

Draco looked at him bewildered. "Harry, what are you talking about? Why would I dump you after having sex with you?"

"That's what you did to those other boys, isn't it? You fucked them a few times and then you dumped them for another one. My, Draco, I never knew you were that popular," Harry hissed, his anger and hurt coming out at once, his green eyes flashing. "I knew that I am not your first, but twenty – three? That's a lot for a sixteen year old, don't you think? When did you start - when you were thirteen? And what's with the dark hair and light coloured eyes; do you have some kind of fetish?"

Draco took a deep breath and let his arms drop. He didn't know who had babbled to Harry, but when he got his hands on that person, he would make sure they would regret it. "Harry, those boys didn't mean anything to me."

"Oh, that's better; you fucked them even when you didn't care about them. That's nice," Harry spat out.

"Who told you about them?" Draco demanded.

"You don't need to know that."

Draco had a feeling, but he had to make sure he was right. But for now he had to make sure Harry didn't break up with him. He hadn't gone through all that trouble to get Harry to let him go, because some asshole deemed it right to mess with his relationship. "I would never dump you after we had had sex, Harry."

Harry snorted. "Yeah, right. I bet you said that to those other boys too."

"No, I didn't say that to them. Do you want to know why I was with so many boys and why they all had dark hair and light coloured eyes?" Draco asked with a sigh.

Harry hesitated, but nodded. He was curious.

"Because I tried to get you out of my head."

Harry blinked; that was an answer he hadn't expected. Draco fucked those boys, because he tried to get Harry out of his head? That didn't make any sense and he told Draco that.

Draco laughed and it sounded a bit bitter. "Still, it's true. Before we got together, I had a crush on you for two years I think. In the beginning I tried to forget about you, because I didn't want to admit that I liked you and I thought that by fucking dark haired, light eyed boys, I could get you out of my head. It didn't work. Every time I fucked a boy, all I could think was how it would feel like to make love to you. I even think I said your name a few times when I came. But because they weren't you, they wouldn't do for me and I would dump them before going to the next one. I'm not proud of it, Harry," he said softly and looked him in the eyes. "I'm aware I acted like a whore, but I just wanted to get you out of my mind. Thank Merlin that didn't work, because otherwise I wouldn't have you now."

"Why didn't you tell me about this? Why would you let me hear it from others?" Harry asked, trying to stay mad. Draco sounded so sincere and he couldn't help but feel a bit flattered that even when Draco was fucking other boys, he still thought of Harry; he wondered where his sanity had gone to.

"I didn't want you to think of me as a notorious whore. I regret fucking all those boys, but in the end I still got you and I'm not letting you go," Draco said softly.

"I still think you're a bastard, Draco." Harry frowned, but Draco saw his green eyes gaining some of their spark back.

"Well, I'm still your bastard," Draco smiled and embraced his boyfriend.

"That was so lame." Harry rolled his eyes.

Draco chuckled. "I know." He tightened his grip on Harry. "So, are we good?"

"Yes, we're good, but I don't want any secrets between us. Promise me you won't hold secrets for me?" Harry asked softly and looked into grey eyes.

"I promise," Draco whispered and kissed Harry softly.

Someone around the corner watched them and scowled. Fuck, the plan hadn't worked. What now?

* * *

Five days later it was Valentine and the whole school was decorated in pink and red. Heart shaped balloons were floating through the hallways and lessons were cancelled for that day. Sirius and Remus had locked themselves up in their room and had forbidden the portrait from letting anyone in, except in cases of emergency – and then only if that emergency had something to do with their godson.

Harry had asked Draco to come to the Room of Requirement, because he wanted to give him his Valentine's present. Draco had given him a necklace with a small, blue sapphire hanging on it.

Harry was rather nervous about giving Draco his present and was waiting on the bed in the room. His pets were staying in the dorms, content to eat their meat and sleep on the bed. Now that Harry was assured Draco wouldn't dump him when they had had sex, he wanted to take their relationship a step further. He still wasn't ready to have sex with Draco, but that didn't mean he couldn't do other things to please his boyfriend.

Someone knocked on the door and a few seconds later, Draco opened the door. He was surprised to see Harry sitting on a huge bed, looking rather nervously.

He closed the door behind him and made his way to the bed.

"It's time for your Valentine's present," Harry blurted out and bit on his lower lip – he had been doing that a lot lately.

Draco furrowed his eyebrows in surprise and sat down next to Harry. "Okay. I can't wait to see my present," he smiled.

"It's not something you can see per se," Harry started uncertainly.

"Eh, okay?"

"I decided I wanted to go a bit further," Harry whispered nervously and before Draco could ask further, he had pressed his lips on Draco's while pushing him to lie on his back.

At first Draco was confused as to what Harry meant with wanting to go a bit further, but when Harry settled himself besides him and began to caress his chest, Draco had a feeling he knew where things would be heading today. They had to part to get some air and Draco took that chance to stroke some of Harry's black hair back.

"Are you sure, Harry?" he whispered, not wanting to pressure the boy.

"I'm sure; well, I'm not sure if I'm going to do it right, because I haven't done this before, but I'm sure that I want to take things a bit further," Harry babbled nervously and immediately shut up while he began to blush.

Draco smiled and pulled his boyfriend on top of him. "Relax, I'm sure I'll enjoy whatever you're going to do."

"I hope so," Harry murmured and began to kiss the blond again. Kissing Draco was something he knew and was familiar with and it managed to calm him down. Eventually Harry deemed himself ready to give Draco his present.

Draco took a sharp breath in when he felt one of Harry's hands sliding down to fumble with his belt. The kissing and caressing had made him quite excited, but he allowed Harry to take his time to open his pants.

He gasped softly when a trembling hand closed around his hard cock, stroking it softly. The touch was light at first and the stroking hesitantly, but when he started to moan softly, it encouraged Harry and he started to move his hand quicker, placing kisses in his boyfriend's neck and collarbone. Every now and then, he squeezed softly in the hard shaft he held in his hand and it rewarded him with a soft sigh and a groan.

"Am I doing it well?" Harry whispered in his ear, hot breath caressing his ear shell.

"Merlin, you're doing it fantastic, Harry," Draco moaned and grabbed the boy's neck to pull him down to kiss him.

Harry moaned softly when a tongue met him and his hand sped up almost automatically.

That proved to be too much. Draco's back arched a bit and he gasped when he came, coating Harry's hand.

"Fuck, Harry," he said breathlessly and fell back on the bed.

Harry smiled happily, feeling proud that he had done something that Draco had enjoyed. He wiped his hand off with some tissues the room provided for him and settled back down next to Draco.

"So, I guess you liked my present, huh?" Harry asked, his green eyes sparkling.

"I loved it," Draco smiled and kissed him on his lips. Then he noticed the bulge in Harry's pants and he smirked. "It seems that someone else deserves a bit attention too," he murmured and settled on top of Harry.

Harry blushed and tried to look away. "I'm good," he muttered embarrassed.

"Now what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't help you out, hmm?" Draco breathed and while his mouth was busy with placing love bites all over Harry's neck and collarbone, his hands were busy with opening the boy's shirt.

"Do you trust me?" he whispered against the reddened lips.

Harry nodded and his own hands trailed over Draco's back.

Draco smiled and began placing open mouthed kisses on the tanned chest. When his hands had finally managed to open Harry's pants, he looked up again. "You can stop me whenever you want, okay? I don't want to force you."

Harry nodded again, too excited to even consider stopping. He knew they weren't going to have sex today; Draco would probably do the same thing he had done to Draco.

Harry was only half right; Draco wasn't planning on making love to him now, but he wouldn't give him a hand job either. He pulled the black pants down to Harry's knees and the green boxers went down too, before his mouth found something more interesting than a chest.

Harry gasped loudly and arched his back when he felt a hot, wet mouth surround his hard prick. Draco began bobbing his head up and down, each time taking a bit more of Harry in his mouth while his tongue licked him.

Harry grabbed the sheets underneath him and tried to buck his hips to get more of that wonderful friction. He whimpered when two strong hands held his hips down, but moaned loudly when he felt himself hit the back of Draco's throat.

"Fuck, Draco, mmm. That feels so good," Harry sighed and closed his eyes.

Draco grinned around his mouthful and hummed a bit, sending vibrations through Harry's cock.

"DRACO!" Harry shouted and his back arched when he came. His whole body shuddered while he climaxed and Draco made sure to swallow everything, fixing his pants afterwards while Harry was recovering.

"That was amazing, Dray," Harry sighed contently and snuggled in Draco's side.

Draco smirked. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Maybe we can do that again later."

"Definitely," Harry muttered sleepily and Draco chuckled when he noticed that Harry had fallen asleep. He had worn him out.

Draco guessed they could take a little nap – as long as they took a shower afterwards. He didn't need a repeat of last time with Lupin.

* * *

Snape looked up when the fire flared up green and raised his eyebrow when he saw his visitor.

"Happy Valentine, Severus," Lucius smiled and held up a bottle of red wine.

"Why are you under the impression I care about the holiday?"

"Because you have the chance to celebrate it with me," Lucius smirked.

"I don't know, Luc," Snape muttered.

"Narcissa is gone now, Sev. There is no one that can stop us from being together now," Lucius whispered and in a few quick steps he was in front of the Potions master and had kissed him full on the lips.

Snape had always known that he shouldn't have encouraged the blond. Malfoys were too persistent for their own good. Question was, would he deny him now that he had a chance to have him to himself?


	26. Unsettling news

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: mentioned slash, drama, some violence
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 26: Unsettling news**

It was Severus who pulled back from the kiss. He sighed and stepped backwards. "How did you get in here? The Floo isn't active."

Lucius placed the bottle of wine on the table. "Through the door obviously," he answered calmly.

Severus blinked and then scowled. "Are you telling me that you just walked through the hall, all the way to my quarters, risking to be seen? Are you dense?"

"No, just in love with you," Lucius smiled cheekily.

"Luc, what if the spy saw you? You could be in more trouble than you are in now," Severus scolded, not letting himself distracted by Lucius' confession.

"I'm not stupid, Sev. I casted a spell on me before I entered Hogwarts." Lucius rolled his eyes. "When you're done worrying about nothing, can you finally tell me what you feel for me?"

"You know that I love you, Luc. I don't see the need to say that again." Severus glared and crossed his arms.

"Merlin, I hope that my son has more luck with wooing Harry than I have with you," Lucius muttered annoyed and then looked right in Severus' dark eyes. "Look, I don't see why we can't be together now. For years you had the excuse of not wanting to be caught by Narcissa."

"It wasn't an excuse, it was the reality," Severus hissed.

Lucius ignored him and continued, "But Narcissa is gone now; we're free to be with each other. I miss you, Sev."

Severus' resistance was wavering. "But what about Draco?" he asked, rather lamely he admitted.

"I'm sure Dragon won't mind when he knows we're together; he's too busy with his own dark haired Slytherin lover," Lucius chuckled and deemed it safe enough to cross the distance between him and Severus and pulled him into his arms. Severus wiggled a bit, wanting to be free, but when he realized Lucius wouldn't let him go, he sighed and relaxed in the hold.

"Times like these make me wonder if you weren't supposed to be in Gryffindor," Lucius chuckled, but winced when he received a sharp smack against his chest.

"I still don't know if what we're doing is wise," Severus muttered and his arms sneaked around Lucius' waist.

"That was always your problem - you're thinking too much," Lucius whispered and pulled Severus' chin up. "What do you say about letting your mind rest for a while and just enjoy."

"Enjoy what?" Severus raised one eyebrow.

"My Valentine present for you," Lucius smiled and kissed Severus again, licking his lower lip in a silent question to enter his mouth. After a few seconds, he was allowed the entrance and he made use of that fact.

Severus couldn't contain the small moan that escaped his mouth when he felt Lucius' erection pressing against his hips; maybe his lover was right - maybe he should stop thinking for today and just enjoy what Lucius was planning to do.

* * *

"SIRIUS!" Remus screamed and threw his head back in the pillow for the fourth time that day.

Sirius groaned loudly and bit Remus' shoulder, soothing the bite with his tongue afterwards, his body shuddering.

When he was done, he pulled out of Remus and fell down next to Remus on the bed. He panted and had enough strength left to pull his lover in his arms.

Remus nuzzled his neck and threw an arm and a leg around Sirius. "Hm, that was fantastic," he murmured and kissed him.

"Glad to hear that," Sirius chuckled breathlessly and his fingers traced a pattern on Remus' back, absently stroking the few scars he found there, courtesy of the violent transformations.

"I'm glad there are no lessons today. I don't think I would have been able to keep my mind on teaching," Remus smiled.

Sirius laughed. "That makes two of us."

Remus began to trace Sirius' abs. "I wonder what Draco has gotten for Harry's Valentine," he mused, thinking about his godson and his boyfriend.

"Probably something expensive, fitting for a lover of a Malfoy," Sirius replied dryly.

Remus chuckled. "Probably; I'm curious about what our cub has gotten for Draco. He wouldn't tell me when I asked him." He pouted a bit.

"Really? Was it that embarrassing?" Sirius wondered chuckling, kissing the pout on Remus' face away.

Remus shrugged lightly. "I don't know; he only blushed when I asked him and refused to answer."

Sirius' chuckling was cut off abruptly when he heard that and he shot up, his eyes wide in realization.

Remus sat up too. "Padfoot, what's the matter? I was lying comfortably," he complained.

"Remus, you don't think they're having sex, do you?" Sirius asked horrified. The combination of his innocent godson and sex was a big no no to him.

The other man frowned. "What are you talking about? Why would they be having sex?" he asked confused.

"You said Harry refused to answer and he was blushing! What's the one subject teenagers don't want to talk about with their guardians?" Sirius asked impatiently. "I can't believe it! They're only a month together! It's too early for Harry to have sex with Blondie! In fact, he's too young for sex, period!"

Remus refrained from reminding Sirius that he had lost his virginity when he was fifteen and thus was in no position to forbid Harry from having sex, and opted instead for hugging the man close to him, in an attempt to stop him from searching for their cub. "I'm sure Harry realizes it's too early to enter that kind of stage in his relationship with Draco. But if Harry feels he's ready for it, you can't stop him."

"The hell I can't! He's too young for it!" Sirius said impatiently, trying to escape the firm hold of Remus. Once again he cursed the strength Remus received from the wolf inside of him.

"Sirius! You won't ask Harry what he gave Draco and you won't forbid him from having sex," Remus warned him, already guessing what Sirius wanted to do.

Sirius pouted, but relented when he saw Remus' firm gaze. "Fine, but one of us has to give him the talk of the birds and the bees," he said stubbornly.

"Siri, I'm pretty sure Harry knows everything about sex. He's already sixteen," Remus pointed out.

"He knows about sex with a woman, but he doesn't know how it works between two men. That's the kind of thing nobody tells the teenagers. So one of us has to inform him and warn him what he has to expect," Sirius huffed.

Remus stared at him. "I'm not going to do it. If you're so eager to inform him about gay sex, then you do it."

"But Remmy, that's way too uncomfortable for me!" Sirius whined. "I can't talk with Harry about gay sex; that's too awkward."

"Either you inform him or Harry will figure it out on his own," Remus replied calmly.

Sirius went red when he thought about how exactly Harry was going to figure it out on his own and scowled. "Fine, I'll give him the talk. But I want something in return."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What did you have in mind?"

Sirius glanced at him and grinned wolfishly. "You on your back, your legs spread for me."

Remus smirked and laid back on the bed, spreading his legs and pulling Sirius between them. "Well, I suppose I can do this for you," he purred and then moaned.

* * *

Draco was the first one to wake up and he spent his time looking at a sleeping Harry. He smiled when he saw his necklace adorning Harry's neck. It had taken some time to find the perfect Valentine present for his boyfriend and eventually he had searched in one of the catalogues the stores had sent to Hogwarts for Valentine. The silver necklace with the small sapphire had immediately caught his attention and he had sent his order and had received the necklace two days before Valentine.

He had been nervous to give it to Harry; he didn't want to give him the feeling he was some girl, but he was relieved that Harry had been happy with it.

Weak, red light reminded him to check the time and his hand searched the nightstand for his wand. Five thirty in the evening. Draco yawned and turned around to lie on his side so he could watch Harry. Warm breath hit his neck every time Harry exhaled. His lips were slightly parted and his eyelids were trembling, signaling that he was dreaming.

Harry presented a picture of pure innocence and Draco didn't have the heart to wake him up. Unfortunately he had to, because they still needed to shower; Draco didn't want to risk another awkward encounter with Lupin. He softly shook Harry's shoulder.

"Harry, it's time to wake up," Draco said softly and chuckled when Harry snuggled deeper in his side, burying his head in Draco's shoulder.

"Don' wanna get up. More sleep," Harry whined sleepily.

Draco's body began to tremble with suppressed laughter.

Harry, who was pleasantly dreaming, frowned when he felt something shaking underneath his head. Last time he checked, pillows didn't shake, so why was his shaking? He swatted at it, but that only resulted in more shaking. Giving up on sleep, Harry groggily opened his eyes, staring bleary at the green object he was lying on, his brain trying to progress what was going on.

"Finally awake, baby?" a smooth voice drawled amused.

Harry shot up and stared down at the smirking blond boy. Finally his brain caught up with the past events and he started to blush fiercely, remembering what they had done a few hours ago.

Draco traced the blush on his cheeks with a finger and looked at him with a bemused expression on his face. "Only you would blush after waking up," he chuckled.

Harry scowled weakly and swatted the hand away. "What time is it?"

"Five thirty. I thought it was best if we took a shower in case we run into Lupin again," Draco answered and sat up.

Harry grimaced when he remembered what had happened last time and nodded. He wondered if the room would produce a bathroom too and was surprised when another door appeared. He stood up and opened the door. His green eyes lit up when he noticed the shower.

"Is that a bathroom?" Draco's voice sounded behind him and he felt two arms sneaking around his waist.

"Yes; I'm taking a shower first," Harry chirped.

"Why don't we take a shower together, hm?" Draco purred and kissed his neck. "It saves time and water."

Somehow Harry got a feeling that the environment was the least of Draco's concerns when he made that suggestion. "No, there's not enough room for the both of us," Harry pointed out. "Besides, the point is to get clean, not make another mess," he added dryly.

Draco pouted. "But it doesn't matter if we make a mess; we're already in the shower then."

Harry gave him a quick kiss on his lips and slipped out of Draco's arms. "No, you just have to wait here," he smiled and closed the door behind him.

Draco was very tempted to sneak in, especially when he heard the water running, but decided against it. He didn't fancy facing Harry's anger – and hexes – if he did that.

He walked back to the bed and picked up his wand that somehow had fallen on the floor. He smirked; this had been the best Valentine ever. Good thing he and Harry had made up five days ago. He suddenly frowned when he thought of the reason of their fight. Who had told Harry about his ex-lovers? (Well, more like one nightstands.) It wasn't as if he had wanted to keep that as a secret, it was just that that was in the past. No use rankling up that past. Still Harry had been hurt and Draco was itching to punish the person who had hurt his lover. Someone had told him about his past and someone had showed his lover the pictures of his ex-lovers that Pansy had insisted they got. Were there two people involved or only one?

Pansy was the only one who had those photos in possession. Unless she had given them to someone else, she must have been the one to show them to Harry. Had she told Harry about them too? But what purpose could she possibly have had?

Draco groaned miserably; this would be so much easier if Harry would just tell him who the jerks had been. He guessed he would have to call in some help then; he was sure Blaise would be willing to help him.

He looked up when the bathroom door opened and Harry came out, droplets from his wet hair falling on the floor.

_Now that's one amazing sight_ , Draco thought pleased.

"It's your turn now, Dray," Harry smiled.

"Remind me to take you for a swim sometime in the summer," Draco smirked and gave him a quick peck on his mouth. He closed the door behind him, leaving a confused Harry behind in the room.

* * *

Lucius entered the living room, after having taken a shower. He smiled when he saw Severus sitting on the couch, sipping on some tea. Only the very light blush on his cheeks betrayed what they had done.

He settled himself next to the dark haired wizard and accepted the offered cup of tea. "Thank you. So, did I manage to persuade you to give me another chance?" he asked lightly.

Severus sighed and glanced at him from the corner of his eyes. "Something tells me that you won't stop bothering me otherwise."

"I take that as an 'of course I'm giving you another chance, Lucius'," Lucius replied drily.

Severus sneered. "Don't complain to me when it blows up in your face." Then he sighed. "Are you going to tell Draco about us?"

Lucius nodded. "Of course, as soon as possible. Or did you want to wait?"

"Do you think Draco would accept us?" Severus asked, ignoring the other man's question. "I don't want him to think I'm going to replace Narcissa."

"That would be rather hard, considering she's a woman, no?" Lucius chuckled.

Severus glared. "I'm not joking, Luc."

"Relax, I'm certain Dragon will be happy. He won't care; besides he has Harry to distract him," Lucius replied airily.

The dark haired man snorted. "I don't believe I'm going to say this, but I feel sorry for Potter. It isn't easy entertaining a Malfoy."

Before Lucius could retort, they were interrupted by Salazar.

"Sorry to disturb you, but I've been thinking about young Harry's training," Salazar started and he placed his hands on his lap, looking at them with thoughtful, but troubled eyes.

Snape raised an eyebrow. "What about it?"

"From what I understand, the boy only follows the regular lessons, correct?"

Severus nodded warily.

"Seeing as this boy is chosen as the one to defeat Tom," Salazar continued, remembering the information he had received from some paintings in the headmaster's office. "it would be in his best interest if he would receive more training. At this rate he has to count on Lady Fortuna to survive if the fight begins."

"What do you propose, Salazar?" Lucius asked interested.

Salazar seemed to hesitate. "How averse would young Harry be to … learn darker spells, do you think?"

Lucius and Severus glanced at each other.

"Explain," Severus replied tonelessly.

* * *

Pansy was furious. While she was seething at the Gryffindor table during dinner, her Draco was practically molesting Potter. Potter kept batting his hands away, but the former Slytherin girl saw him blushing and smiling. The little whore. It made her sick. Potter wasn't supposed to sit next to Draco; he should be sitting far away from Draco; even breaking up with him, so she could claim his place as Draco's lover.

Pansy had been so sure about her plan; show Potter the photos of Draco's ex-lovers and let him know he was just another fling, to be thrown away after he was used.

What had gone wrong? Potter had been upset; she even had heard he had started avoiding Draco. But now here he was, practically sitting in Draco's lap.

"You broke your promise, Parkinson," the Weasley girl spoke up coldly. "I brought Harry to you, but he's still with Malfoy! Why is he still with that miserable ferret?"

Pansy clenched his jaw. She was tempted to curse the stupid girl, but held back, because she really couldn't use a detention now.

"I never promised you anything. I said I had a plan," Pansy snapped, her brown eyes practically shooting venom.

Ginny flinched a bit, but didn't back down. "Yeah, well, your plan failed! Harry won't even look at me anymore!" she whined.

"Oh, boohoo, what a pity," Pansy sneered. "Now leave me alone, you're giving me a fucking headache!"

"You'll regret this, Parkinson," Ginny hissed and stormed out of the Great Hall.

"Oh, I'm so scared now," Pansy muttered mockingly and resumed her watching of Draco and Potter. A new plan was in order; she would get her Draco, one way or the other. It was just a matter of time and patience.

* * *

Later in the evening, when Harry was helping Millicent with her homework for Defence against the Dark Arts, Draco approached Blaise.

"Blaise, do you think you could do me a favour?" he asked softly and sat down in the chair across from Blaise's.

Blaise raised an eyebrow. "That depends on what you need."

"Someone told Harry about my past … flings and showed him the picture," Draco began to explain, careful to keep his voice down.

Blaise winced. "So that's why he was pissed off, a couple of days ago."

Draco looked at him dryly. "Thank you for reminding me."

The other boy shrugged.

"Anyway, I want to find the one or ones – I'm not sure – who decided to fuck with my relationship," Draco continued, his grey eyes glittering. "Will you help me?"

"As long as I can use a spell or two on them, I'm in," Blaise smirked.

"In for what?"

Harry's curious voice startled the two boys and they whipped their head around to look at him. He was standing just a few feet away from them, his snake curled around his neck. His two other pets were watching Blaise and Draco with a strange look in their eyes; as if they were contemplating something.

"Blaise is in to play some chess with me," Draco lied smoothly and pulled Harry on his lap.

"Yeah, I'm going to kick Draco's arse," Blaise grinned.

"Really?" Harry asked sceptically.

"Your scepticism hurts me deeply, Harry," Blaise sighed dramatically.

Harry snorted. "Whatever."

Draco chuckled and summoned a chess board and placed it on the table between them.

When Harry made a move to leave Draco's lap, Draco tightened his grip on his hips. "And where do you think you're going?"

"To sit next to you so that you'll be able to play," Harry replied slowly.

"Tut tut, you're staying here on my lap. I'm capable of playing like this," the blond Slytherin assured him.

Harry looked doubtfully, but was too tired to argue, so he stayed seated. But if Draco dared to complain if he lost, he would kick him.

* * *

As the game progressed, neither boy was aware that the eyes of Harry's pets were staring at one particular boy in the room. For this time, they had showed themselves. This boy, after noticing their stare, sneered at them, but hastily left the common room. No need to anger magical pets.

The boy, of course, didn't know he was already put on the pets' hit list and now they were contemplating whether they would punish the boy or leave the punishment to their master's mate and companion. After all, it was the mate's duty to protect their master.

Sapphire let out a soft yelp and Garin and Ruby cocked their head once before laying back down. It was decided - they would leave the punishment to their master's mate.

It would be a perfect test for the mate; if he did his job well, he had proven he could take care of their master and their future cubs. They would give him a little help of course by pointing out the one who had hurt their master, but they would leave the actual punishment entirely up to the mate.

Survival lesson number one, never hurt the master of magical pets. It could end deadly. Sadly for the boy, he had never learned that lesson. Pitiful really.

* * *

It was one week later two things happened; Harry experienced the most embarrassing moment of his life and Draco experienced the satisfaction of revenge.

Let's first hear Draco's day.

Draco was sitting alone at a spot near the lake. It was a rather warm day for February and he had decided to take advantage of it and lounge on his cloak near the Black Lake. He would have loved to have Harry with him, but Harry had decided to pay his godfather a visit.

This gave Draco an opportunity to think of who had been the ones to tell Harry about his ex-lovers. He couldn't think of it when Harry was with him, because the dark haired boy would notice his thoughts were far away and ask what was wrong. Draco didn't think it would go over well if he told him that he was trying to figure out who had been the assholes that had try to fuck with their relationship.

Blaise had been keeping an eye out as well, but so far he hadn't heard anything interesting.

Draco was so deep in thought, he at first didn't notice the two animals staring at him. He only noticed their presence when something tugged on his pants.

He looked down and saw to his surprise Garin and Ruby standing next to him; it had been Ruby who had tugged on his pants. Sapphire had decided to join Harry with his visit to his godfather.

"Hey Ruby," Draco murmured and scratched the lion behind his ear.

A loud rumble filled his ears and it took him a few seconds to realize that Ruby was purring. Draco blinked surprised and took a closer look at the lion. "Did you grow?" he asked puzzled. Ruby didn't seem as small as he used to be; in fact he reached Draco's shoulder now – still not big, but he was definitely bigger than in the beginning.

Garin slithered up his arm and curled around his neck. The cool, smooth skin made Draco shiver for a moment, because he wasn't used to having Garin in his neck.

Suddenly Ruby pushed his hand away and tugged on his pants again.

Draco frowned. "What do you want, Ruby?"

As an answer, Ruby tugged again.

"Do you want me to follow you or something?" Draco felt rather stupid for asking this, because the pets couldn't answer, but it seemed that Ruby understood him, because he took a few steps towards the castle.

Figuring it couldn't hurt to follow Ruby, Draco stood up and brushed his pants off before following behind Ruby.

As soon as they came near other students, Ruby turned himself invisible and stayed near Draco, so that the boy could still follow him.

The longer they walked, the more Draco became confused. What was it that Ruby wanted to show him so badly?

They came to an abrupt halt in a dark hallway of the dungeons, just behind a corner.

Draco looked around puzzled. "Ruby?" he asked confused. Why would the lion bring him here?

A snake's tail entered his vision and pointed to a person leaning against the wall, reading a thin book. Draco narrowed his eyes when he recognized the person as Theodore Nott. What was he doing here? And why had Ruby brought him here?

' **This is the person that hurt our master.'**

Draco's head shot up and he looked around startled. Where had that voice came from?

' **Don't be afraid. You're not going crazy. It's Ruby talking.'**

Shocked, Draco looked down and saw the lion staring at him. "What the … Are you really talking to me?" he whispered. Since when did animals talk? Granted, they were magical animals, but still …

' **No time to explain now. You wanted to take revenge, because our master was hurt, didn't you? Well, this is the person.'**

Draco stared at Nott. "Are you sure?"

Ruby seemingly sighed and seemed to nod. He sat down on the cold floor and his tail was swishing; the fire on it bright. The next moment, he disappeared from sight again.

"Garin, could you do me a favor and get Blaise? I promised him he could join in on the fun," Draco whispered maliciously and took his wand out of his pocket.

He felt Garin slithering down his back and he disappeared behind the corner.

Now that he thought of it, Nott seemed the most likely person possible to mess with his relationship. From the beginning Nott had been obnoxious, so it didn't surprise him he decided to mess with Harry. Too bad he decided to mess with a master of two magical pets. It worked in Draco's favour though. Draco smirked and absently twirled his wand. He was going to have so much fun with this. Although he vowed he would never hurt Harry (not that he was planning to do that); his pets scared him.

Draco kept a careful eye on Nott, ensuring he didn't disappear. He didn't like the thought of a chase. When he heard footsteps, he quickly casted a Silence charm around him, so that Nott wouldn't hear anything.

Blaise was scowling at him. "Couldn't you have found another way to get me? Potter's snake scared the shit out of me when he suddenly appeared on my bed.

Draco couldn't contain the little chuckle and petted Garin's head; the snake had reclaimed his place in Draco's neck.

"You said you wanted to be a part of the revenge when I found the person who fucked with my relationship." Draco pointed towards Nott, who was ignorant about what was about to happen. "Nott's the asshole."

Blaise blinked and then narrowed his eyes. "Nott? How did you discover that?"

"Let's just say that Harry's pets are the scariest creatures I've ever met," Draco murmured.

Ruby seemed to smirk.

Blaise stared at him, but decided not to ask. Something told him he really didn't want to know what Draco was talking about. Some things were better left unsaid.

A glint appeared in Blaise's eyes and he fingered his wand. "Well, we shouldn't keep Nott waiting, should we?" he drawled.

Draco smirked. "My thoughts exactly." With a wave of his hand, the bubble of the Silence charm broke.

The two leisurely walked to Nott, who looked up sharply when he sensed the boys coming to him. He closed the book and looked at them warily.

"What are you doing here?" He thought it strange to see Malfoy without Potter. Those two were inseparable; it was disgusting. For one fleeting moment, he entertained the thought that Potter had broken up with Malfoy, but knew that was wishful thinking. If Potter didn't break up with Malfoy after knowing how many lovers his boyfriend had had, there was barely anything else that would make him break up.

"We can ask the same thing of you, Nott," Blaise smirked.

"Just reading; it's quieter here. Less noise," Nott answered nonchalantly. Why did he have that feeling again? That feeling of being stared at?

Nott froze when his wand flew out of his pocket and another wand was pressed against his chin.

Malfoy was looking at him with narrowed, malicious eyes. "Let's cut the crap, shall we? I heard from a very reliable source that you were the one who decided to mess with Harry's head," he said nonchalantly, his wand pointed at Nott's face. Blaise was the one holding his wand against his chin.

Nott tensed. Who had ratted him out? He had been so sure that nobody besides him and Potter knew of their conversation. Had Potter complained to Malfoy? No, his Gryffindor nature wouldn't let him do that. "I don't know what you're talking about, Malfoy," he said coldly.

Draco tsk'ed and shook his head. "It would have been better for you if you just admitted you talked to Harry. I'm just curious about one thing though; where did you get those pictures from? Did Pansy give them to you?"

This time Nott really didn't know what Malfoy was talking about. "What are you talking about, Malfoy? I don't know anything about pictures."

Draco stared in his eyes, but had to admit that Nott really didn't know anything about the pictures. Seemed like Pansy had been the one who had shown Harry the pictures. Why she had done that, Draco had no idea. He would figure that one out later. Now he had some other things to do.

"Now I don't like it when Harry is upset." Draco narrowed his eyes and glared. "I find it fit to show you what happens if you try something like that again."

Blaise smirked. "Ready?"

Draco nodded. They would make sure not to use any Unforgivable curse (they wanted to take revenge, not land themselves in Azkaban), but they knew enough spells that would cause some serious damage.

All the while, Garin was watching interested from his spot in Draco's neck and Ruby was washing his paw, purring softly, satisfied that the mate of his master was showing he could protect their master. It would be so annoying if he had to teach the mate some tricks.

When they were finally done, Draco kneeled next to a bruised and bleeding Nott who was still reliving some of his worst nightmares (Draco's Aunt Bellatrix had once taught him that particular spell – before she went completely insane of course) and whispered, "If you dare to rat us out, you'll wish you never met us, understood?" he asked hissing.

Nott coughed – it seemed like a few of his ribs were cracked – and nodded while glaring hatefully.

Draco smirked satisfied. "Good boy," he cooed and then stood up. "Let's go, Blaise, it stinks in here."

Blaise laughed and followed Draco.

* * *

Nott bit on his lip to keep himself from screaming when he sat up. He panted and placed an arm around his ribs. It seemed like he would need to use a lot of those healing potions he had stashed in his trunk. He glared; he would make Malfoy pay for this. Malfoy would wish he had never messed with _him_.

* * *

"What are you going to do with the person who showed Harry those pictures?" Blaise asked curiously when he plopped into a chair in the common room.

Draco shrugged and sat down in the couch next to Blaise. "I don't know now. I'll figure something out. For now, I'm happy that Nott has been punished."

Blaise chuckled darkly. "Yes, it was a sight."

"Just don't say anything of this to Harry. He won't understand it," Draco sighed.

"My lips are sealed," Blaise smiled.

* * *

Let us go to Harry's day now.

There wasn't any warning. If Harry had known what would happen today, he would have stayed in bed and refused to go out of it until the coast was clear. Alas, his naivety had led him to this situation.

Harry had been talking to Sirius and Remus, but he had noticed a while ago that Sirius had been avoiding his eyes and that he looked embarrassed. Eventually Harry couldn't stand it anymore and sighed.

"What's wrong, Sirius?" he asked curiously.

For some reason, Remus started smiling and his amber coloured eyes shone amused. This made Harry suspicious. An amused Remus wasn't a good thing for him.

"Oh, nothing special, really," Sirius replied uncomfortably.

Harry raised an eyebrow – something he had picked up from both Snape and Draco – and scoffed. "I'm not stupid, Sirius. There's something on your mind."

"Yes, Sirius, why don't you go on with it? You wanted to give him that talk," Remus reminded his lover gleefully. Truthfully he felt sorry for Harry, but it was hilarious to see his lover this uncomfortable.

Harry looked at them suspiciously. "I have a feeling that I'm not going to like where this is going."

Remus stood up to pour more coffee in his cup and patted his shoulder. "Harry, cub, I think Sirius is more embarrassed about this than you will be."

Harry started to have a feeling about where this was going. "If it makes Sirius that embarrassed, why would you think I wouldn't be more embarrassed?"

Remus paused in his way to the kitchen. "Good point." He nodded to Sirius. "Come on, Padfoot, it's like ripping off a bandage - you do it quickly and it will hurt less," he chuckled.

Now Harry was positively scared.

Sirius sighed and rubbed his forehead. "All right, Harry, promise me you will hear me out and that you won't run away."

Harry eyed him warily. "Am I likely to be traumatized for life?"

Remus laughed and sat down again. "Oh yes, positive." His grin was wolf like now.

"You're supposed to be my family; family doesn't traumatize other family members," Harry pointed out.

"Just let Sirius get this talk over with, cub. He'll feel much better after it," Remus assured him and patted his knee.

"Who cares about whether he will feel better?" Harry protested.

Sapphire purred and rubbed her head against his stomach. Harry sighed and started stroking his cat. "Fine, get started."

Sirius took a deep breath and though he still looked insulted at Harry's earlier comment, he let it slid aside for now. "All right, I'm going to ask you a question and please, answer it truthfully."

Harry nodded and took his cup of coffee.

"Did you and Draco have sex already?" Sirius asked hastily, his cheeks red.

Harry, who had just taken a sip of his coffee, choked in it and began to cough. Remus masked a chuckle and began to pat his back.

"There, there, don't choke on us now, cub."

Harry glared at him and took a deep breath. "You're evil, Remus," he accused him.

Remus shrugged and smiled.

"Well?" Sirius asked again, though he didn't dare to look Harry in his eyes. He really hoped for his sake of mind and for Draco's life, they didn't have sex already.

"No! No, of course not!" Harry protested, his face reddening. He finally realized what sort of talk Sirius wanted to have with him - a sex talk. His godfather was giving him a freaking sex talk. This couldn't get any more worse.

He stood up hastily. "Really, Sirius, there is no need to give me a sex talk. I already know what sex is, you don't have to make me go through all that again."

"Sit down, Harry, before I make you. Believe me this is more embarrassing for me than for you," Sirius growled and clenched his fists. His lover was looking at him gleefully. The bastard.

"I beg to differ," Harry muttered, but because he didn't want to see Sirius angry, he sat down again. "I'm sending you the check of my psychiatrist later," he muttered, pouting.

Remus decided this had to be the most fun day he had experienced. It was hilarious to see his lover and his cub so embarrassed. Poor Harry wouldn't know what hit him. He wondered if that made him sadistic.

"Okay, I'm relieved to hear you didn't do it." Sirius looked relieved. "This will make it easier to say this."

"Why would you think it would make this easier?" Harry mumbled and crossed his arms.

"Eh, how far did you go? So that I get an idea of what I have to explain to you," Sirius said nervously.

"You really don't have to explain anything, really," Harry protested.

"Harry, please," Sirius pleaded, feeling more and more embarrassed. Remus would pay for this later.

"Sirius, do you really want to know how far I went with Draco?" Harry asked, his eyes pleading. He rather had Draco alive; it would be awkward kissing a corpse after all.

"No, actually not, but I have to know what I still need to explain further. Just tell me, Harry," Sirius said annoyed.

"Who says you won't kill Draco when I tell you how far we went?" Harry scowled.

"Good point," Remus muttered.

One of Sirius' eyes twitched. "Exactly how far did you go with Draco already, Harry?" he asked through clenched teeth. Couldn't that Malfoy boy keep his hands to himself?

"Na ah, I'm not telling you." Harry glared.

"Probably a handjob, blowjob at most," Remus said drily.

It was almost an impossible feet, but Harry managed to get even redder, betraying himself. He never knew Remus could be so crass – he really spent too much time with Sirius.

"Remus, please," Harry begged.

"Wait, I'm right?" Remus asked surprised. He had just been joking when he had made that suggestion.

Meanwhile Sirius had such a red face, Harry was beginning to worry his head would explode.

He stood up stiffly and walked to the study room. "Excuse me for a minute," he said eerily calm and closed the door behind him.

Harry winced when he heard the crash and scowled at Remus who held his hands up in defeat. "Thank you, Remus; now I have to worry that my godfather will try to kill my boyfriend," he said frustrated and ranked a hand through his hair.

"Sirius would never kill Draco," Remus tried to soothe him, but winced when he heard a louder crash.

"We're talking about the man that spent thirteen years in Azkaban, managed to escape it sane, tried to kill Pettigrew and has cursed several Death Eaters - with illegal spells I might add - when he came to rescue me last year and you think he wouldn't try to kill Draco when he hears what we do?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

Remus bit his lower lip. "I will stop him when he tries to harm Draco," he promised.

Harry pouted. "You better do. I rather like having him alive, you know."

Remus chuckled.

After five minutes of muted cursing and several loud crashes, Sirius came back to the living room, putting his wand back in his pocket. "Okay, let's make a deal. You listen to my talk right now and I promise I won't kill Blondie."

Harry narrowed his eyes. "Promise you won't hurt him either and I'll listen to you."

"But Harry," Sirius whined and pouted.

"No, Sirius, promise me," Harry said stubbornly.

Sirius sighed. "Fine, I promise I won't kill or hurt Blondie."

"Good; go on then with your humiliating talk," Harry huffed.

Remus looked at them amused. Really, they were far too entertaining sometimes.

* * *

When Harry finally left his godfather, it was with a very red face and a fright of everything that had to do with sex. He was positive he was scared for life. He didn't know who was more embarrassed - him or Sirius. Remus had been smirking throughout the whole talk.

Even Sapphire looked flustered and Harry wondered if it was possible for cats to feel embarrassed.

When he finally entered the common room and sat next down to Draco, he muttered, "It will be a very long time before you get any sex, Draco."

Draco's eyes widened and he turned to stare at Harry, who looked rather pale. "What? You can't be serious?" he squeaked.

Harry nodded grimly. "It will be a very long time, Draco. That's what you get when you make Sirius suspicious."

"Wait, what? What does your godfather have to do with this?" Draco asked confused.

"You really don't want to know," Harry muttered and closed his eyes.

Draco was left confused and scared that he would indeed have to wait for a long time before there was any sex.

Sapphire closed her eyes and put her front paws over her head.

* * *

Only when they were in the dorms, did Draco remember to talk to Harry about his talking pets. He was sitting on Harry's bed, leaning against the headboard with Harry snuggled against him. His three pets were sleeping at the foot end of the bed.

"Harry, today something strange happened," Draco started and let his fingers draw patterns on Harry's stomach.

Harry snorted. "You couldn't find your hair gel?"

A sharp smack was his punishment. "No, you git. Your pet talked to me in my head," Draco huffed. Only then did he realize how that must have sounded. _Damn, that could have gone better_ , he thought dismayed.

Harry stared at him. "Did you get hit by a spell or something? Or are you drunk? Animals don't speak, Dray, even if they are magical."

Draco spelled the curtains shut. No need to let the others know what Harry's pets were capable of. "I'm not joking, Harry. I mean it; a few hours ago, Ruby talked to me in my head."

Harry sighed. "Why would Ruby talk to you in your head?"

Fuck; he couldn't possibly confess to Harry that Ruby had helped him getting revenge on Nott. Harry wouldn't approve of that. He really should have kept his mouth shut.

"He was helping me with something," he mumbled.

Harry narrowed his eyes. "With what?"

"That doesn't matter, Harry. The point is that Ruby talked to me."

"Unless you can prove that, I don't believe you."

"Fine," Draco huffed and then turned to Ruby. "Ruby, can you please say something to Harry to prove that I didn't lie?"

For a while Ruby just sat there staring at Draco and Draco was beginning to doubt himself. It sounded unreal when spoken aloud. But then Harry's eyes widened and his mouth formed the shape of an 'o'.

"Did he talk to you?" Draco asked excitedly.

Harry put his hand up and frowned. "Yeah, Ruby talked to me. Apparently his species can do that when they want to," he murmured.

"See, I didn't lie," Draco said smugly.

Harry chuckled. "No, you didn't. It's interesting; I never thought I would have a pet that could speak." His green eyes sparkled excitedly.

"I think that everything's possible with you," Draco laughed.

Harry shook his head smiling. "Well, I'm tired. We have Potions tomorrow and I really don't want to fall asleep in Snape's class."

"No, I don't think that's prudent," Draco smirked. "Hey, can I sleep here tonight?"

"As long as you can behave yourself, then that's fine with me," Harry smiled and snuggled underneath his sheets.

"I always behave," Draco smirked and pulled Harry in his arms. "Sleep well, Harry."

"Goodnight," Harry mumbled and closed his eyes.

* * *

The next day after their last lesson, everyone looked up when they heard a loud BANG resounding in the hallways.

The students looked at each other and then rushed to the Great Hall, where they all saw the Weasley twins with big, identical grins on their faces showing off their jokes. Big, red fireworks in the shapes of dragons and other magical animals were flying through the castle, while sounds of explosions were heard.

Harry laughed and clapped his hands, like the other students. It was like last year where the twins used their last big prank before they left Hogwarts.

While the pranks were still going on, the twins walked to Harry, ignoring their brother who stood a few feet away from them with Hermione next to him.

"Hiya Harry! We told you we would pay a visit, didn't we?" Fred grinned and slung an arm around Harry.

"Don't worry, we will pay a visit to the Gryffindors later," George whispered and winked.

"Do you mind if we go somewhere more private? We need to tell you something," Fred asked and although he was still grinning, his eyes had lost their shine.

Harry frowned, but nodded. "Do you mind if Draco and Blaise come with us?"

George shook his head after looking at the two other boys. "No, they can listen too."

Finally, after many congratulations and receiving more orders, the twins managed to find an empty classroom. When they all had entered, they locked the door to make sure no one interrupted them.

"What's the matter?" Harry asked and leaned against Draco, who was leaning against a desk.

Blaise had chosen to sit on the teacher's desk, looking curiously.

Fred sighed. "Listen, we don't want to make you worried-"

"We just thought it would be wise to let you know this," George continued.

"Our dear brother Percy decided to join our happy family again." Fred frowned.

Harry's eyes widened. "What? But I thought he didn't want to be a part of the family anymore," he asked confused.

Draco furrowed his eyebrows, vaguely remembering the arrogant prefect.

"Yes, well, we thought that as well," George muttered darkly.

"He said that he regretted his decision to leave the family and if we could accept him again?" Fred scowled - a strange expression on the otherwise cheerful Weasley boy.

"What did your mother say?" Harry asked.

"She was in tears of course and accepted the git right away." George snorted.

"Why did you think this necessary to mention this to Harry?" Draco asked curiously.

Fred shuffled his feet nervously. "I don't know really, but there is something off with Percy."

"More so than usual," George added.

"What do you mean?" Blaise asked.

"We can't put our finger on it, but there is something about the way he acts that just screams wrong. Well, that and he agreed with Ron when he was spouting all kinds of bullshit about you, Harry," Fred answered.

"Which is something he never did before," George continued.

"We didn't want to make you worried for nothing -"

"But it's better to be safe than sorry, right?" George ended the sentence.

"Ron may lack brains, but the great git has unfortunately some brains. Who knows what he comes up with?" Fred shook his head.

Harry breathed out slowly. "So basically, I just need to be careful in case there is indeed something wrong with Percy."

The twins nodded.

"Do you suspect he has ties with Death Eaters?" Blaise asked nonchalantly.

Fred put his hands up. "We don't know. All we know is -"

"That our loveable brother acts weirder than before."

"Something we thought never to be possible."

Harry bit on his lips. "Thanks, guys, for the warning."

The twins clasped his shoulders and a grin appeared back on their faces. "Hey, no problem, little brother."

"You're part of our family after all." George winked.

Before they left, Fred turned around. "Oh, and Malfoy? If you dare to hurt our little brother in any way, we will find you and we will make sure you regret you ever hurt him, understood?"

They both twirled their wands in a warning way.

"You can be sure I won't hurt Harry," Draco said sincerely.

"Make sure you don't," George smirked.

Harry just stood there embarrassed, but pleased.

* * *

The twins stayed until after dinner that night, entertaining the students with their new pranks and getting congratulated by their teachers on their success. The Gryffindors however weren't lucky. True to their word, Fred and George visited the Gryffindor tower and when they left, almost all the students were suffering from several spells that caused burn marks; colourful spots; growing extra limbs; replacing voices with animal voices; growing feathers, … Suffice to say that the Gryffindors weren't happy. Madam Pomfrey wasn't either, considering she was in charge of fixing the students, which in some cases would take a week to two weeks.

Unfortunately, the twins couldn't be punished, because they weren't students anymore and seeing as they so helpfully informed, "It isn't our fault that they are so stupid as to try out our new candy."

Only a handful people were left unharmed - those who were the only ones who supported Harry. Which sadly weren't many. And none of the Weasleys were with the unharmed people.

* * *

When the Slytherins were walking back to their common room, Harry was stopped by Snape.

"Mister Potter, a word please."

Harry looked confused, but nodded.

"I wait for you in the common room," Draco whispered in his ear and they shared a soft kiss.

Harry felt Garin curling tighter around his stomach and Ruby walked closer to him. Sapphire was already waiting on his bed.

Snape closed the door behind Harry and sat down behind his desk, while gesturing Harry to sit on the chair in front of the desk.

Harry, who was getting slightly nervous, tried to remember if he had done something to piss off Snape. Nothing came up.

"Potter, Salazar and I had a talk a while ago," Snape started abruptly.

"All right." Harry nodded, not understanding what that had to do with him. So, they talked; good for them.

"It was decided that you would receive extra training."

"In Potions?" Harry asked confused.

Snape sighed. "No, not for Potions, brat. General training; to help you defeat the Dark Lord."

"Oh." It was silent for a minute. "Is this an idea of the Headmaster?"

Snape raised an eyebrow. "No, it was Salazar's idea. He saw it fit to make sure you would survive when you're up against the Dark Lord."

Harry nodded thoughtfully. "Eh, who will teach me?"

Snape's other eyebrow joined the former first raised one. "I am going to teach you with the aid of Salazar and I suspect the mutt and the wolf would be useful too," he sneered.

"Oh, okay then, I suppose," Harry replied hesitatingly.

Suddenly Snape seemed to be uncomfortable and Harry blinked, wondering what could make the man so uncomfortable; as far as he knew, the Head of Slytherin was always in control.

"Potter, the training you will receive won't be about defensive spells," Snape started slowly.

Harry blinked. "I'm sorry, professor, but I don't think I understand what you want to say."

"What I am saying is that you will also learn offensive spells."

"All right, no problem. I don't think I can win against Voldemort with only defensive spells anyway." Harry shrugged.

"Potter, it is possible you will feel … uncomfortable with some of the spells that I will teach you."

Harry stared at him warily. "How so, sir?"

"The spells I'm talking about are invented by Salazar himself. As you have heard during the classes of history, the Founders were at war with other countries and they each designed their own spells. Salazar was specialized in spells that are considered dark," Snape replied tensely and he studied the boy in front of him. "Unfortunately, you won't be able to win this war with only light spells. In the case of the Dark Lord, you have to fight fire with fire. I know you consider yourself too noble to use Dark spells, but Potter, realize that you will have a poor chance at surviving if you refuse to learn those spells."

It was silent for a while. Normally this would have irritated Severus, but in this case, he decided to let Potter think about it. It didn't feel right, teaching a sixteen year old boy Dark spells and curses. Hell, he hadn't used the majority of them when he was still active as a Death Eater! But Salazar had a point when he told him and Lucius, that the time of pampering Potter was over. They were at war. The outcome of the war depended on whether or not Potter would be strong enough to defeat the Dark Lord.

Something akin to pity coursed through Severus' body. The boy was too young to fight. Severus still couldn't believe that Albus was willing to let a boy fight for his life against a Dark wizard with years of training. Potter didn't know half of the spells he would need to defend himself and to cause severe damage to the Dark Lord. It was almost impossible.

Almost. Because willingly or not, Severus had to admit Potter had potential. So far he had managed to survive every time he had been brought up against the Dark Lord. Maybe if he had more excessive training, he would be able to make an end to the war the next time he met the Dark Lord.

A thought that disturbed the older wizard, because the fate of the Wizarding world was all brought on the shoulders of a sixteen year old boy. Every day there were more mentions of attacks and Severus guessed the Dark Lord was beginning to feel impatient. As long as Potter stayed at Hogwarts, he was unreachable. The question was for how long would he be safe in this castle?

Severus studied Potter. The boy was pale and he looked tired. His emerald green eyes – Lily's present to her son – had dulled since their conversation, but there was still a spark of a fire. Potter may despise the use of Dark spells, but he was smart enough to realize that he wouldn't survive if he depended on his small amount of offensive spells. And if he didn't want to watch out for his own life, the incentive of keeping his loved ones safe would be enough. He still had that hero impulse after all. Severus wondered if that was something all Potters had and if that was beaten out of them once they had children, because he seemed to recall that James Potter had quieted down his adventures as soon as he heard that Lily was pregnant.

"All right, sir. I won't like to learn Dark spells, but I'm willing to learn them," Potter interrupted his train of thoughts softly.

"Glad to hear you acquired common sense, Potter," Snape said brusquely.

Harry, knowing this was Snape's way of complimenting him, smiled weakly. "Was there something else you wanted to talk about, professor?"

"No, not particularly. Although, do you have an idea as to why Theodore Nott came to the Hospital wing today all beaten up? He refused to say who did that to him." Snape looked at him intently.

"No, sir, I really don't have any idea as to who could have done that," Harry asked confused. Nott beaten up? Why would anyone do that?

"Hm. You may leave now, Potter," Snape murmured and watched the boy leave the room, closing the door behind him softly.

Severus had an idea as to who could have beaten up Nott, but he wasn't sure about it. Once he understood the possible motive, maybe then he would understand why he had done that. Until then he could do nothing else but keep an eye on the boy.

* * *

Harry had been distracted all week after he had had the conversation with Snape. Snape had told him he would start training him after he had found the book Salazar had written, but it had proven to be excellently hidden. Even with Salazar's help, Snape had only managed to decrease the possible hiding places.

Harry suspected that Dumbledore had maybe hidden the book. After all Salazar had told him that the Headmaster hadn't liked the Founders.

* * *

A couple of days later, it was March. Harry had totally forgotten about the twins' warning about Ron and was therefore grateful that he was still wearing the necklace the twins had forced into his hands.

When he sat down for lunch on Wednesday, Ron had walked by and had shoved past him, causing Harry to almost fall in his plate with his face.

Ron sneered and walked further, without sparing another glance.

"Don't, Draco, he isn't worth it," Harry sighed and rubbed his painful shoulder.

Draco glared and his grip on his wand tightened. "Really, Harry, you're too nice. I promise you I can hex that piece of shit without anyone being the wiser."

"I know you can, but you won't. He's not worth the trouble, Dray. If you hex him now, he will want to retaliate and then it never stops," Harry sighed. "I'm tired of fighting other students even if they are behaving like assholes now."

"Fine," Draco grumbled and stuffed his wand in his pocket. "You just have to make it up later today."

"Oh? What do you have in mind?" Harry smiled.

"Oh, nothing special; just you and I, alone in the Room of Requirement …" Draco whispered suggestively.

"I think I will like that," Harry smiled and his green eyes sparkled mischievously.

However when he turned his attention back to his plate, he saw something glowing around his neck and with wide eyes, he plucked his necklace from underneath his shirt and saw it glowing purple. Fred had informed him the necklace would only glow if there was poison near him.

Draco, who noticed the glowing necklace, dropped his fork and pushed Harry's plate away. "Poison? How did that manage to get into your food?" he whispered harshly.

Harry shrugged helplessly. "I don't know."

Draco looked at the plate contemplatively and then conjured a bag in which he put the food. "We can let Sev take a look at it," he explained when he met Harry's questioning gaze.

"Oh." Harry nodded. He felt sick that someone had wanted to poison him and he wondered how the poison had ended up in his food. It was unlikely the house elves would have messed up, because they were very precise in what they put in their food. He shivered and he decided he had lost his appetite, despite the fact that he hadn't eaten much.

Draco had urged him to eat from his plate, but Harry refused. If he had to eat now, he was sure it would come up back later in the evening and he didn't desire spending his time above a toilet.

Draco eventually relented after realizing there was no way he would get Harry to eat tonight.

Snape had promised them with a dark look in his eyes that he would investigate the poison in the food. It would be hard to find the one who had tried to poison Harry, but Snape promised he would keep an eye out.

Harry just wanted to forget that someone had tried to poison him and managed to convince Draco to join him in his studying.

* * *

Draco had already left for the Room of Requirement that evening and after Harry had finished his homework (he even had managed to write more than the required twelve inches for his Potions homework) he made his way upstairs. Draco had expressed his concern, but Harry had convinced him that after the nearly poisoning, a relaxed evening with his boyfriend was all that he needed.

Draco reluctantly agreed and had promised to make this evening good. Harry couldn't wait to find out what they would be doing tonight. Because he didn't want to have his pets as witnesses, he had left them behind on his bed.

Aside from the poison incident, the day had been good. He had managed to collect more House points during Defence against the Dark Arts and therefore was in a rather good mood.

Naturally because Fate decided he should be the one she would screw around with, he was halted by a very familiar, but hostile voice.

"Potter!"

Harry turned around with a sigh and met an angry Ron who stood in the middle of the hallway of the fourth floor.

"What?" Harry asked annoyed. He really didn't want to deal with Ron now. This day had just started to look nice despite the poison and he really wanted to last it that way.

"What, am I not good enough for the famous Harry Potter?" Ron sneered.

"Really, Weasley, can't you learn to say something else? I've gotten tired of hearing your bullshit every time. Unless you have something new to say, you're wasting my time," Harry snapped. His patience with his former best friend had finally run out. He had been prepared to just ignore Ron and make fun with his new friends, but it seemed that Ron only had gotten more hostile as time went by.

Of course, Harry didn't know Ron had gotten in serious trouble many times when he had had a fight with Harry.

Ron wouldn't let Potter get away with that so easily. It was obvious his former best friend had been corrupted by the Slytherins. That was a shame, but it showed Ron that Harry hadn't been worth the trouble he had put himself in for the past five years.

"I just wanted to ask how it feels to do shit, but still getting rewarded for it," Ron hissed.

"What are you talking about now?" Harry asked annoyed and confused.

"Don't play dumb, Potter! You getting points during Defence against the Dark Arts of course!" Ron snapped. "Must be easy, having your family as a professor. No wonder you excel at Defence against the Dark Arts."

"Leave Remus out of this, Ron," Harry warned him. He could take jabs thrown at him (hell, he hadn't heard anything else the entire time he had lived with the Dursleys), but he wouldn't stand for having his family offended.

"Or what? You're going to run to him?" Ron taunted. "Oh, I'm so scared now! The big, bad wolf is going to get me!"

"Shut the fuck up!" Harry hissed. "Just because you run to your mummy every time you get into shit, doesn't mean anyone else does the same. Tell me, does your mummy still have to hold your hand? Oh wait, she probably needs her hand to keep Dumbledore in check," he smirked and turned around to continue his way to the Room of Requirement, thinking he really was spending too much time with the Slytherins if he had managed to insult Ron that way.

He didn't get far however, when he was hit with a Burn hex. He yelped and whirled around just in time to avoid a curse that would have shattered his nose.

"You fucker!" Ron screamed outraged.

Ron had definitely improved in his spell work. The only thing Harry was able to do now was trying to shield himself against the curses, though Ron managed to break his shield many times and hit him.

Several bruises were starting to appear on his upper body and his arms sported some cuts which were bleeding a bit.

He cursed when a Bone Shatter curse was thrown at him and quickly jumped out of the way. "Fuck, Ron, stop! What the hell do you think you're doing?" he yelled angrily and jumped out of the way of another curse which he didn't recognize. He didn't want to get the chance to get acquainted with it either.

Suddenly Ron threw his wand on the floor and jumped at Harry, swinging his fist back and hitting Harry full in his ribs.

The blow made Harry fall back on the floor and he gasped for air, grimacing. It seemed that one of his ribs had cracked. He dearly hoped it wasn't broken.

When he saw Ron's fist coming again, he managed to roll over, but that movement made him curl up, because his rib protested from the violent movement.

Just when Ron wanted to take another swing, two arms shot out and grabbed him, hauling him back.

"Let me go! That asshole needs to be taken down!" Ron yelled and tried to break free.

Harry looked up and saw Sirius, Remus and McGonagall standing in the hallway, looking shocked. Sirius was the one who had hauled Ron away from him.

Remus immediately went to Harry and carefully helped him standing up.

Harry hissed and bent down trying to relieve the pressure on his rib.

"What was going on here?" McGonagall asked horrified.

"He insulted my mother!" Ron roared.

"He started it," Harry replied, grimacing.

"I never thought … My word …" McGonagall looked too outraged to made decent sentences.

"Come on, Harry, I'll take you to the Hospital wing," Remus said softly.

Harry shook his head groaning. "No, not the Hospital wing. I don't want to go there. Pomfrey will let me stay the night and make me drink those awful potions," he protested.

"Harry, we need to get your rib checked and to heal those bruises and cuts," Remus said sternly.

"I will talk to Mister Weasley first and then I speak with you, Mister Potter," McGonagall said grimly. "Don't think you will get away with this lightly," she warned him and then walked with Sirius and a screaming Ron to her office.

Harry sighed. "Draco will be happy," he muttered scowling.

"Did you have a date with Draco?" Remus asked while escorting him to the Hospital wing.

Harry nodded. "I was supposed to meet him in the Room of Requirement."

"Well, I will send Sirius to get him," Remus replied.

"What? No! He will get worried for nothing," Harry protested.

"Harry, you were just attacked by Ron. I think he had reasons to worry," Remus said, frowning. "Besides, he's your boyfriend. He would be an asshole if he wasn't worried about you. And then I would have to teach him a lesson," he added idly, but his eyes showed he was serious about his threat.

Harry chuckled nervously, but had to stop when his rib protested. "You don't have to. Besides, now he won't let me go anywhere alone after this. And he had just decided to give me some space. Damn it, why did Ron have to screw it up?" he cursed.

Remus chuckled weakly and helped Harry sit on a bed and went to get Pomfrey.

Harry sighed and winced when the sigh made his rib hurt.

Pomfrey came to him with a scowl on her face. "Really, Mister Potter; what are you trying to do? Do you want to break your father's record? Come on, take your shirt off so I can see how much damage there is to heal," she huffed.

"I just like it here so much, Madam Pomfrey, that I want to spend as much time here as possible," Harry smiled sweetly, but grimaced when he tilted up his arms to remove his shirt. "Damn it," he cursed when he couldn't take his shirt off. Even the slightest movement made him wince.

"Do you need help?" Remus offered.

_It is still embarrassing, but at least he's not Sirius who would have made fun of me_ , Harry thought glowering, but nodded.

Very carefully, Remus helped Harry with taking off his shirt.

Madam Pomfrey frowned when she noticed the bruises that were slowly appearing on Harry's chest and arms. "My word, Potter, what did you do?" she muttered and shook her head dismayed. She first healed the cuts and cleaned the blood away. She carefully rubbed a flowery smelling salve on the bruises and then felt his ribs.

Harry's hiss and wince told her she had found the injured rib and when she waved her wand, the paper that appeared in her hand informed her that two of his ribs had a light break. Nothing serious, but still painful.

"Well, it will take a few days, maybe a week before all the bruises will be gone and your ribs are slightly cracked which will take a week to a week and half to fully heal," Madam Pomfrey said and handed him the salve for his bruises. "No flying for at least a week, until your ribs are healed, Mister Potter."

Harry groaned and scowled.

Madam Pomfrey went back to her office to write some documents and Remus and Harry looked up when Sirius entered the Hospital wing.

"Where is Ron?" Harry asked uncomfortably.

"With McGonagall; she's giving him a piece of her mind. She has still the same vicious tongue as when we were students," Sirius sighed and for a moment he looked fondly.

"Sirius, could you get Draco and tell him what happened?" Remus asked.

"Remus, really, Draco doesn't need to know about this," Harry protested again.

"Maybe he will help you stay out of trouble, cub," Remus sighed.

Sirius shook his head. "I think it's better if you go and get him, Remmy."

Remus wanted to protest, but something in Sirius' eyes stopped and he sighed defeated. "Fine, I'll get him." He gave Harry's shoulder a soft squeeze and left the two men alone.

Harry suddenly noticed how the atmosphere became tense and he gulped. "Sirius …" he started, but trailed off uncertainly.

Sirius began to pace forth and back in front of Harry's bed. "Do you mind telling me why you didn't ignore Weasley right from the beginning and instead took his bait?" he asked in a controlled voice.

"I tried to, but he decided to drag Remus into our fight and I just reacted. It's not my fault that he has such a short temper," Harry answered annoyed.

Harry started when Sirius smacked his fist down on the nightstand. "Exactly! He has a fucking short temper and you decided to fuel it even more! How could you be so stupid as to take his bait? I don't care if he dragged Remus or somebody else in your fight, just fucking ignore the prat!"

"What are you trying to insinuate? That it's my fault we got into a fight?" Harry snapped. His nerves were shot from the stress from the fight and Sirius wasn't helping it.

"If you had ignored him, there wouldn't have been a fight!" Sirius snapped back, his temper rising.

"Oh come off it! You know as well as I do that if Ron had wanted a fight, he would have started it regardless of what I did!" Harry growled.

"Then why didn't you Stupefy him and get some teacher's help?"

"Because he wouldn't give me the chance to use something other than a Shield spell! Besides I don't need help every time I get into a fight," Harry huffed and crossed his arms.

"Oh yes, because you managed just fine on your own. I can clearly see that," Sirius replied sarcastically, gesturing to the bruises.

Harry flushed red and jumped off the bed. "I would have been fine!" he insisted.

"Oh come on, Harry! If you would have been fine, then why are you here?" Sirius sneered.

"Forget it! Let's just forget this, because you obviously won't listen!" Harry snapped and wanted to walk away.

Sirius wasn't about to let his godson walk away and gripped his arm tightly, not noticing that Harry had forgotten to slip his shirt on again.

"Don't you dare to walk away from me!" Sirius snapped back.

"Let go of me!" Harry hissed and struggled.

"Not before we talked about this," Sirius growled.

They were so involved in their fight that they never noticed a soft click.

* * *

McGonagall told Harry he had detention on Tuesday night with her after she had separated him and Sirius. Draco had been all over Harry, fussing and being generally furious with Ron. He promised Harry he wouldn't let him go anywhere alone, which was what Harry had been afraid of.

A few hours after the fight, Remus had talked to both Harry and Sirius and after having a talk with each other, both admitted they may have overreacted. Sirius apologized for being so angry at Harry, but explained it was because he had worried about Harry and Harry apologized for being so stubborn.

Their talk ended with a group hug in which Draco participated scowling, because he had been dragged into the hug by his grinning cousin.

Besides the fact that his rib still hurt and that he had a detention with McGonagall on Tuesday, Harry thought he had gotten off easily.

How he was wrong about that.

* * *

The next morning when all the students were gathered for breakfast, the heavy doors of the Great Hall flew open and to everyone's confusion and astonishment, three Aurors made their way to the Head table.

"Sirius Black?"

Sirius nodded warily.

"You're accused of physically abusing your godson Harry Potter. Please stand up and follow us to the Ministry where we will continue our investigation. If you would hand over your wand to Mister Williams," the Auror standing in the middle said calmly.

Harry's world crashed down.


	27. Trials and accusations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: some angst, some drama
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 27: Trials and accusations**

Numb. That was how Harry felt. This couldn't be happening. It was just impossible. Soon, someone would jump up and yell 'Early April's fool!' It just had to be. But it didn't happen. Minutes went by and the Aurors still stood there waiting.

"Mister Black, do hurry up, please," the Auror in the middle spoke again.

This seemed to snap Sirius out of his shock. "Excuse me, but this is a mistake. I don't abuse Harry, never have, never will," he said coldly and his eyes narrowed.

Quiet chatter rose up in the hall; students were looking at Harry and at Sirius, wondering what was exactly happening.

"Mister Black, we have a Pensive with memories to prove it," the Auror replied sternly.

"That's impossible; Sirius would never harm Harry. Those memories are false," Remus protested, dread filling his body.

"Memories never lie. I ask you for the last time, Mister Black, give me your wand and follow us." The Auror's voice got colder.

Sirius opened his mouth to protest again – and possibly try to curse the Aurors – but he was halted by Dumbledore, who shook his head and murmured something in his ear. Sirius' face got cold and closed off and if looks could kill, there wouldn't even be ashes left of the Headmaster. Stiffly he handed over his wand and stood up. Remus whispered something in his ear and he squeezed his hand before Sirius turned around and walked over to the Aurors, who grabbed his arm and tugged him along, with another Auror keeping his wand trained on his back.

They had only taken a few steps before Harry had made his way to them, effectively cutting off their path to the exit. He wanted to grab his godfather, but he was held back by an Auror with dark hair, who grabbed his wrist and held him back.

"Let me go!" Harry snapped and kicked his foot backwards, hoping to hit a leg, but the man was faster, jumping out of the way while still holding the boy back.

"Mister Potter, please calm down. We're here only to help you," the man said irritated.

"I don't need your help, because there's nothing wrong," Harry hissed, still struggling.

"Listen, I know you want to protect your godfather, because you're afraid of him, but you don't have to be afraid anymore," the man continued patiently. "We're here to arrest him and once you have given your statement of what happened, then you don't have to see him again."

"No, you fucking listen to me! Sirius never abused me! I don't know where you got that shit from, but it sure as hell isn't true!" Harry snapped furiously, his magic starting to crackle.

The whole hall gasped in shock when they heard him swearing that much and the whispering got louder.

Draco and Snape appeared next to him; Draco pulling him into his arms, tugging him against his chest.

"Let me go, Draco," Harry bit out.

"Calm down first before you destroy the school," Draco whispered, his hard glare trained on the Aurors.

"What is going to happen with Black?" Snape asked calmly, but his dark eyes were glaring at the Aurors and they had to stamp down their urge to fidget under the Potions Master's glare.

"We're going to take him to the Ministry where we will question him," the man answered and nodded towards Harry. "Mister Potter needs to come with us too to give his statement."

"Fine, we will join him," Snape said, giving the Aurors no other option.

When they wanted to protest, Snape shot them a glare that promised an extremely painful death and they closed their mouths again, not wanting to take the risk.

Remus appeared next to Snape and the dark haired man turned towards him. "Warn Lucius and tell him to go to the Ministry immediately, to the department of the Aurors," he murmured.

Remus bit his lip, torn between insisting he joined his cub and his mate and doing what Snape told him. Half a minute later, he decided to do what Snape told him. Lucius had quite a lot of power in the Ministry – he would be able to pull some strings.

He hurried out of the hall, ignoring the disgusted glares two of the Aurors sent him.

"Let's go," Draco said through clenched teeth. He felt the invisible body of Ruby stroking against his leg and because he was still holding Harry, he felt Garin slithering his way up Harry's arm, probably settling himself in Harry's neck. After Garin was settled, Draco felt Ruby disappearing with Sapphire following him. It was probably impossible for them to follow them without problems.

He sighed and followed the three Aurors who had handcuffed Sirius while trying to calm down Harry who was on the verge of either hyperventilating or blowing everything up. Snape followed behind them, keeping his hand on his wand. They left the school with many stares directed at them and as soon as they passed the wards, the Aurors Apparated away, leaving Snape to side-Apparate with Harry and Draco.

* * *

Dumbledore hid his smirk behind his cup of tea. It seemed like Sirius Black wouldn't return to the school for a very long time. What a shame.

* * *

When they arrived in the hall of the Ministry, Harry jerked himself out of Draco's hold and marched after the Aurors, determined not to leave his godfather out of his sight. He was furious and his fists were clenched. All he saw was red; whoever was responsible for this sick joke would pay dearly. Draco and Snape followed him, one looking passively and the other worriedly.

Harry was halted by another Auror who had stepped out of his cubicle.

"Mister Potter? I'm afraid we have to take your statement now." It was a man with deep red brown hair and light blue eyes with freckles on his nose and cheekbones. Wrinkles marred his forehead and he had a tired look on his face. He was a head taller than Harry.

"But I want to be with Sirius," Harry protested, tensing.

The man shook his head. "We can't allow you to stay with him now. You'll need to give your statements separately." The name tag on his chest read Jason McCormack.

"What will happen to Sirius?" Harry asked fearfully.

McCormack blinked confused. "He'll be questioned and then put back in Azkaban where he stays until his trial," he explained.

"But he didn't do anything wrong!" Harry pleaded.

McCormack sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Let's find a room where we can talk quietly." He beckoned Harry to follow him and led him and his two shadows a bit further down the hall, stopping in front of a closed door with a number three painted on it. He opened the door, but held out his arm to stop Snape and Draco from following Harry.

"I'm sorry, but you aren't allowed to follow the questioning in this room," McCormack told them.

"Excuse me, but Potter is still a minor and the last time I checked the law, it stated that someone has to be with a minor during a questioning," Snape said through gritted teeth.

The Auror looked at him blankly. "Are you a relative of Mister Potter?"

"No, but …" Snape grounded out.

"Then I'm sorry, but you can't go in. If you can get a relative or a guardian, then they can join the questioning," McCormack said, dismissing them with his voice.

Before either Draco or Snape could voice their protest, the man had closed the door in front of them, showing only a glimpse of a worried and terrified looking Harry.

"Fuck!" Draco growled and punched the wall, not even registering the pain shooting through his arm.

"I can't believe this," Severus said frustrated and shook his head. "Get his guardian; one of his bloody guardians is questioned right now on charges of child abuse and the other one is a werewolf."

"Do you think they will let Lupin join the questioning?" Draco asked worriedly.

Severus sighed. "Like I said earlier, Lupin is a werewolf. The chance that they will let someone like him join the questioning is very low."

"Then who can we call? We can't leave Harry alone there!" Draco ran a hand over his tired face. Would this never end? Who was behind this this time?

"I think Lucius is the best choice we have now," Severus sighed.

"Let's wait for father then," Draco murmured.

* * *

Harry glanced around him nervously, taking in his surroundings. There wasn't a lot to take in. There was a black table with only three chairs around it: two on one side and one across of the two. The walls were a dark blue, almost black and completely bare. There was only one small window, looking out at a grey air, clouded over.

"Please take a seat, Mister Potter," McCormack said calmly and chose the chair across of the two.

Tensed, Harry sat down, folding his hands on his lap beneath the table.

"All right, because this is a case of child abuse, we have asked for a Mediwizard to come down and do a check-up on you," McCormack explained, softening his voice. "Once the check-up is over, we will need your statement of what happened and if you can handle it, you will need to repeat your testimony on the day of the trial."

"There's been a mistake," Harry started again, desperately wanting the Auror to believe him. "Sirius has never abused me and he won't ever do that. I don't know who told you this, but that person is lying."

McCormack sighed and something akin to pity and sympathy passed over his face, making Harry bristle in annoyance. "I understand why you would say something like that, Potter. More often than not someone in your position will try to defend the person who hurts you out of love and misplaced loyalty, but you won't have to do that any longer. Once the court has heard your testimony, Black will be locked up, far away from you. You don't have to be afraid any longer."

"You need to listen to me! I'm not afraid of Sirius, because he never hurt me!" Harry repeated furiously.

The Auror leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "How do you explain your bruises then?" he asked mildly, having encountered this kind of cases before. It was sad, really, how children like Harry tried to defend their attacker, because he was considered family. Some children just drew back in themselves and only with a lot of coaxing could they manage to extract a testimony out of them; others could calmly tell the Aurors what had happened and were genuinely grateful when their attacker was locked up. And then you had children like Harry Potter, who got angry and tried to defend their attacker. Jason didn't know which sort of children he pitied more.

"Bruises?" Harry frowned; momentarily confused at the direction the conversation had taken.

"The person who told us about the abuse showed us the memory where you had bruises all over your chest and arms," McCormack replied.

Harry furrowed his eyebrows, but then a look of understanding flashed over his face. He shook his head. "You have it all wrong. Those bruises I got in a fight with another student."

McCormack raised an eyebrow. "Which student?"

"Ron Weasley," Harry replied.

"I'm sorry, but I find that hard to believe. You two are best friends, why would you get into a fight that would leave you with bruises?" McCormack remarked.

"We're not friends anymore, not since the moment that I chose Draco over him," Harry replied, huffing.

"Draco? Draco, as in Draco Malfoy?" McCormack repeated.

"Yes, I'm sure you already read everything about us," Harry couldn't help but snap.

"We have a memory as proof of the abuse, Mister Potter," McCormack sighed.

"That memory is a lie," Harry bit out.

"Memories don't lie."

Harry snorted. "They do. At least in this case."

McCormack opened his mouth to argue, but was interrupted by a knock on the door. He stood up to let the Mediwizard in. The Mediwizard was a dark blonde woman with light brown eyes that had little golden specks in them. Her long hair was tied back; she seemed to be in her thirties.

"What seems to be the problem?" she asked; her voice was soft and rather high. Her eyes caught sight of Harry staring at her and her eyes widened a bit before she turned back to the Auror.

"We have a case of child abuse and we need you to examine Mister Potter," McCormack explained.

"Damn it! I'm not abused!" Harry snarled.

The woman pursed her lips and walked to Harry, stopping in front of him. "My name is Helena Wooding and I'm going to examine you. Could you please remove your shirt for me?" she asked, pulling off her coat and scarf.

Harry crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I told you - I'm not being abused," he said through gritted teeth, his patience wearing thin.

"Then you won't have any problems with showing me your chest," Helena smiled warmly.

Harry clenched his jaw, but slowly unbuttoned his shirt, knowing he would lose anyway as soon as she saw his bruises. Damn Ron to hell. And whoever was behind this.

McCormack narrowed his eyes when he saw the purple bruises on Harry's chest and arms, most of them were already fading to yellow.

Harry sighed and turned his head to the side when the Mediwizard started to prod in his bruises and examine his ribs.

Helena tsk'ed. "You had one nasty beating, Mister Potter. Am I correct in assuming you also had broken ribs?"

"Just a few cracks," Harry mumbled, glaring at the opposite wall. "They are already healed."

Helena sighed and stepped away. "Is there anywhere else on your body where you acquired wounds?" she asked, eyeing him critically.

Harry shook his head, tugging his shirt back on.

"Well, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do for you more. Obviously someone has given you treatment already," Helena remarked. "Who nursed you?"

"Poppy Pomfrey, the school nurse," Harry replied stiffly.

Helena nodded pensively. She turned towards the Auror and beckoned him outside the room. She waited until he had closed the door before saying, "Well, he obviously has the bruises, but to be honest, I can't really tell if it's because of abuse or if he just got into a nasty fight. Those bruises don't have any sign of being made by hands." She looked at him. "What did he tell you?"

Jason sighed annoyed. "What they always tell us in this case - Black didn't do it, he hasn't abused him and he would never do it."

"Maybe he's right and Black isn't abusing him?" Helena suggested softly.

Jason looked at her sharply. "He has bruises and we got a witness with a memory. Isn't that enough proof?"

"Listen, he goes to Hogwarts; who says he just didn't just got into a fight that turned nasty and left him with those bruises?" Helena sighed. "I know you have to be careful and you're right, in most cases children lie about the abuse to protect their loved ones, but I don't see why Harry Potter would lie about that. Besides, this abuse happened in school; I think people would notice it when Harry Potter was abused. Did you question the other teachers?"

Jason shifted uncomfortably. He had forgotten how critical Helena could be about his work. "We're questioning Potter and Black right now," he answered unwillingly.

She raised an eyebrow and looked at him sceptically. "Careful or one might think this is a set up to get Black back in prison."

Jason bristled. "We're giving him a fair trial!"

"It's only a fair trial when you have questioned everybody who could have heard about the abuse," Helena reminded him.

He looked at her sourly. "Since when are you a defender of Black?"

She straightened her shoulders. "I just don't want someone innocent to go to Azkaban."

"We have a very reliable witness," he replied annoyed.

"And what if that witness has a grudge against Black?" she suddenly remarked.

He glared at her. "It isn't your job to question our tactics."

"No, you're right, it isn't. It's my job to determine whether Harry Potter was abused or not and so far all the signs point towards a stupid fight with another student and not abuse," she huffed.

He narrowed his eyes. "You're sure?" he asked sceptically.

She looked at him icily. "Unlike others, I do my work according to the rules," she replied and turned around. "You can expect my report in a couple of days."

Jason cursed; she had always been an infuriating woman from the moment he had met her in Hogwarts.

* * *

Sirius glared back at the man who had introduced himself as Tom Wels. He was handcuffed to his chair and his wand was confiscated.

"How many fucking times do I need to repeat myself before it gets stuck into that hollow thing you call a brain that I'm not abusing Harry!" he snapped.

Tom slammed his hand down on the table, the clap resounding through the interrogation room.

"And how many times do I have to repeat myself before you realize you're busted? We have the fucking evidence, you son of a bitch!" he hissed, spit flying through the air.

"Then that evidence is false, because I never hurt Harry and I will never hurt him!" Sirius growled back.

"So you don't want to admit it?" Tom said eerily calm and stood up.

Sirius glared at him. "I'm not admitting something I haven't done."

"Fine, a little bit of time spend in Azkaban will refresh your memory then," Tom snapped.

Sirius' eyes widened. _Azkaban_. The one place he had sworn he would never enter again. The place that had almost made him loose his mind. They were going to send him back? They couldn't do that!

"You can't do that!" he yelled, panicking.

Tom sneered. "You bet your arse we can. Take him away." He nodded to two other Aurors standing in the room.

Sirius struggled as hard as he could, but one Stunning spell made him lose consciousness and the Aurors were finally able to take him away without risking getting a fist or a foot somewhere against their body.

* * *

Lucius had just arrived at the Aurors' department when the Aurors had disappeared with Sirius through another door. Oblivious to this fact, Lucius walked further, having received the hurried message of Remus. His face was blank, but on the inside he was stewing. Who the hell was behind this stunt this time? How many enemies did Black have?

Draco looked up when he heard familiar footsteps and sighed relieved when he noticed his father coming towards them. He and Severus were waiting around the corner of the interrogation room where Harry was seated. They had tried to listen in when the Auror had exited the room for a moment to speak with a woman, who Draco assumed was a Mediwizard, but there had been too much noise in the corridor.

"Can you please explain what happened?" Lucius sighed annoyed. "Lupin was too emotional for me to understand him. All I could manage to make out was that Black is in trouble again and that is has something to do with Harry."

"Black is accused of abusing Potter," Severus explained, frowning. "They say they have evidence, but they didn't tell us who delivered that evidence."

Lucius sighed, tapping his cane against the marble floor. "This is rather unfortunate. Where is young Harry?"

"One of the Aurors took him away to let him give his testimony," Draco replied, scowling.

"And who's with him now?" Lucius asked curiously.

"No one, they wouldn't allow us in based on the grounds that we weren't his relatives or his guardians," Severus glared.

"This is getting ridiculous. How are his guardians supposed to be there if one of them is being interrogated?" Lucius shook his head.

"Can you do something about this, father?" Draco asked, crossing his arms.

Lucius sighed. "I can try to make us listen in to the interrogation of Harry and Black, but I'm not certain whether they would allow us that. I can, however, demand to see the so-called evidence they have. Considering the fact that the evidence is false, there has to be something about it that we can use to our advantage in court."

The three looked up when they heard the door of room number three open and both McCormack and Harry stepped out of the room, both having a look of frustration on their faces.

"Harry!" Draco hurried to his boyfriend and pulled him into his arms.

Lucius stopped next to him. "Ah, it's you, Auror McCormack," he greeted him idly.

Jason glowered. He hadn't had much encounters with the senior Malfoy, but the ones he had had, made him loathe the man with all he had in him. A year ago, he had had a case concerning a dark wizard that had been smuggling illegal potion ingredients in the country. Jason had been able to catch him, but the man had been released four days later, the evidence having disappeared. Before the man had been released, Jason had seen Malfoy talking to his superior and he had heard the man had had paid a visit to the Minister. After a few more encounters where Jason had lost his suspect, a deep loathing for everything that had to do with the name Malfoy had rose up.

"To what do I own the pleasure?" he asked through gritted teeth.

Lucius tapped his cane against the floor again and looked at him pensively. "It came to my attention that Sirius Black is arrested on charges of child abuse." He paused for a moment and his steely grey eyes stared at the glaring Auror in front of him. "I want to see the evidence."

"You're not allowed …" McCormack started, but was interrupted by Lucius.

"But I am. I can inform you why exactly I'm allowed to see this evidence, but that would be a waste of my precious time and frankly I have better things to do than standing here, convincing you to show me the evidence," Lucius replied calmly.

For a couple of minutes it was agonizing silent with Draco and Harry staring at the two men, waiting with bathed breath.

McCormack turned around with a snarl and he stamped down the hallway. "Fine, I'll get that evidence!"

Lucius smirked in triumph. It paid off to have power in the Ministry.

"Where's Sirius?" Harry asked worriedly, fiddling with his sleeve.

Severus shook his head. "I don't know. I assume they put him in another interrogation room."

Harry bit his lip and leant back against Draco's chest, feeling his arms tightening around his waist.

McCormack returned after five minutes. "If you want to take a look at the evidence, you need to follow me to the Pensive room," he informed them curtly.

"The evidence is a memory?" Lucius raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, I assure you that memories are perfectly legal to use as evidence – in fact, they are the best, because you can't lie in memories," McCormack sneered.

"Unless you're powerful, then you don't have any problems lying in memories," Lucius informed him in a bored tone.

McCormack clenched his jaw, but beckoned them stiffly, leading them to another corridor where nobody was walking around and everything was quiet. There were only three rooms in the dimly lit corridor and the Auror led them to the second door on their left. He grabbed a silver key and roughly opened the door, beckoning them in the room.

Harry looked around. There were five Pensives standing on one shelf; a bookcase stood next to it, filled with files and another bookcase was filled with small, clear bottles filled with blue smoke. There was nothing else in the room. He bit his lip again and tightened his grip on Draco's hand, who squeezed back briefly.

McCormack made his way to the bookcase filled with bottles and searched through them, before selecting a bottle that was standing on the third shelf on top. He grabbed it and walked back to the two men and the two boys, roughly trusting the bottle in Lucius' hands.

"Here, this is the memory," the Auror muttered annoyed.

Lucius studied the bottle. "Why is the name of the witness not on the bottle?" he asked calmly, but inwardly he got a dreading feeling. The memory bottles always had the name of the witness engraved in them, even if the witness had to stay anonymous. Why wasn't the name on the bottle in this case?

McCormack snorted. "Don't worry about that. You wanted to see the memory, well, feel free to use one of the Pensives." He gestured towards the large bowls.

Lucius narrowed his eyes, but otherwise his face was blank. He turned to Harry. "Harry, would you like to see the memory too?"

Harry nodded immediately. He wanted to know what was in the memory that let these people think he was being abused. Draco released his hand and stepped back, next to Severus. It would be too crowded if they all watched the memory.

Harry and Lucius walked to the Pensive on the left and carefully Lucius opened the bottle, tipping it over in the basin, watching how the blue smoke swirled in it before becoming clear again.

"Ready?" Lucius asked and looked at Harry.

He nodded.

"Let's go."

They took a deep breath and dipped their head in the basin. Like the other time, Harry felt himself falling before suddenly landing on familiar tiles. One look around him confirmed his suspicions; he was standing outside the infirmary, right in front of the door. He studied his surroundings. The person to whom this memory belonged should appear soon.

Both he and Lucius started when Remus exited the infirmary before hurrying out of the corridor. Harry frowned and turned to peak in the room. He took a deep breath when he realized this memory was of the night where he was attacked by Ron. He saw himself sitting on the bed, still half-naked, with bruises marring his chest and arms, looking at his pacing godfather nervously. Next to him, Lucius furrowed his eyebrows.

Harry was startled again when the memory Sirius smacked his hand down on the nightstand. He swallowed when he relived the fight again. He saw himself standing up, intend on walking away, but Sirius grabbed his arm, stopping him.

Harry didn't understand why the Aurors would classify this as abuse. He knew what happened afterwards; Sirius would let his arm go, they would yell more at each other, then Poppy would come storming in, threatening to sedate them if they didn't shut up and then Remus would return with Draco. So what seemed to be the problem?

However that wasn't what happened. Instead of Pomfrey storming in the room, Harry noticed a slight haze about the setting, barely noticeable except when you concentrated on the memory. What was going on? He felt Lucius tensing beside him. What happened next in the memory made Harry gasp in disbelief. The Sirius in the memory was gripping his arm even harder and suddenly, the man raised his arm and slapped Harry hard in the face, making the boy fall back on the bed where Sirius gripped his throat and started hissing something in the younger one's ear. The Harry in the memory paled and nodded weakly before Sirius released his throat and stepped back.

"Good boy," he heard Sirius saying in satisfaction.

Suddenly the haze cleared up and Pomfrey stormed up to them, yelling.

"I think we saw enough," Lucius muttered and grabbed Harry's upper arm to pull him back out of the Pensive.

When Harry's feet touched the floor again, he gasped and trembled, wobbling a bit. Draco rushed towards him, pulling him in a hug.

"What happened? What did you see?" he asked worriedly and glanced at his father, who was even paler as usual.

"Where is that Auror?" Lucius asked, leaning against the wall.

Severus studied him. "He went back to his office; he got a call from another one. He said to leave this room immediately as soon as you saw the memory and not to touch anything else."

"What happened, Harry? What did you see in that memory?" Draco repeated his question, his lips brushing against Harry's temple.

"Someone screwed with that memory," Harry said with trembling voice. "That wasn't how that night happened at all."

"According to that memory, Black slapped Harry's face and gripped his throat," Lucius elaborated more.

Harry shook his head against Draco's chest. "But that isn't what happened! Sirius never hurt me!"

"We all know that, Harry, but it will be difficult to prove that. After all, they won't believe Black's testimony and they will probably say that you're just trying to protect him when you defend him," Lucius replied darkly.

"Did you discover who the memory belonged to?" Severus asked.

Lucius shook his head. "I never saw the person." He frowned. "There is something fishy going on here. Why would someone produce a false memory of Black and would have the power to remain undetected in the memory? It has to be someone of Hogwarts, because it happened in the Infirmary."

Severus breathed out slowly. "What are you going to do now?"

Lucius sighed and placed the bottle back in the bookcase. "I'm going to get some of the Aurors I trust to study this case and try to find out how we're going to proof that this memory is tampered with."

"I want to see Sirius," Harry muttered, blinking tears away.

"Let's go ask where they are keeping him," Severus suggested.

* * *

However, when they finally tracked down McCormack, they were informed that Sirius was already sent to Azkaban to wait there for his trial. When Harry heard that, he had to sit down, because his legs trembled too much. They had sent his godfather to that awful, terrible place. How could they do that to him? Sirius had just been recovering for real; would he survive another stay in Azkaban? Would it be this time that Azkaban managed to get to Sirius' head and make him insane?

Harry's teeth started to shatter and he began to tremble terribly, wrapping his arms around him. He was only vaguely aware that Draco warned Severus and that he was being led to the fireplace downstairs where he was Floo'd to Dumbledore's office.

The Headmaster had wanted to say something when Draco, Harry and Snape appeared in his office, but one dark look of Snape had made him shut his mouth, raising his eyebrow.

* * *

It was only after the trio had left that Dumbledore smirked and folded his hands. On the desk was the rapport of the Ministry, stating that Sirius Black had been sent to Azkaban to wait for his trial in three weeks.

It was such a shame that the Aurors had forgotten about interrogating McGonagall and the school nurse.

Oh well, it wasn't his fault that he kept forgetting to warn the Ministry to interrogate these women too, was it?

* * *

As soon as Harry was brought into Snape's office and had been forced to swallow a Calming Draught, Ruby and Sapphire appeared seemingly out of nowhere and curled around their master, sharing their warmth and company. Low hissing told the two cats all they needed to know and their eyes burned dangerously. Their master had been hurt again – and this time they couldn't do anything about it.

Salazar looked at the boy with concern. He had heard about what had happened in the Great Hall and he couldn't help but feeling that it was all too coincidental.

"What is your next course of action?" he asked Severus who looked at him with tired eyes.

"Lucius is going to call in some Aurors he trusts to study the case and he's going to try and find a way to prove that the evidence provided is false," Severus sighed.

"It's going to be okay, Harry," Draco muttered, pulling Harry on his lap. "Father will make sure Sirius stays out of prison. Father won't lose; he never does. We're going to win this case, I swear."

Harry placed his head on Draco's shoulder and didn't reply. He didn't have the same confidence that Draco had. All he could do was hope that Draco was right and that Lucius would be able to win this case.

* * *

The following weeks were spent in a daze for Harry. He had asked to visit Sirius in Azkaban, but hadn't been allowed because he was the victim in this case and they didn't want to 'give Sirius a chance to hurt him again'. It didn't matter that Harry kept saying he was never abused; they wouldn't listen to him. It frustrated Harry to no end. He was being treated as a child who didn't know what he said. He hated that feeling.

True to his word, Lucius had sent some Aurors to do his own investigation and they had visited McGonagall and Pomfrey to collect their memories. Draco had tried to win some information about the case through his father, but Lucius didn't want to risk anything and kept quiet.

Remus had been allowed to visit Sirius briefly and only because Lucius had threatened to withdraw his donations. The visit had barely lasted for half an hour. When Remus returned, he had hugged Harry to his chest and told him that Sirius had made him promise not to worry too much and that everything was going to be okay.

Harry had taken to stay the night in Remus' quarters with his animals, not being able to stand the jabs Nott threw at him. That and he needed the comfort of knowing that at least one of his guardians was still with him.

March made its entrance and the sun began to appear more and more, but Harry was not in the mood for the light atmosphere that the castle exuded. Students had taken to stay out of his way, lest they risked a curse if they made fun of his godfather. Ron had been keeping his distance too, but if Harry had to go by his constant smirk, he knew that Ron was enjoying himself immensely now that Sirius was in jail.

Ginny had tried to comfort him once, but Garin and Ruby had taken care of that unwelcome touch by attacking her. Draco had been fairly amused with that.

It was four days before the trial started that Lucius made a breakthrough with the case. He leaned back in his chair and smirked. The 'witness' had been smart, very smart, faking a memory, but he had forgotten one tiny thing that would make the difference between jail time and freedom. Too bad for him, but Lucius had found that tiny difference. He couldn't wait to see the faces of those Aurors when he showed that evidence.

* * *

It was Friday, the day of Sirius' trail. Harry swallowed nervously and adjusted his tie. He wore formal, grey robes and he was waiting for Remus to join him. He had almost been forbidden from going to the trial, because it was a school day, but one letter of the Ministry had fixed that. Because he was the 'victim', he had the right to know what would happen with Sirius and so he had been given permission to attend the trial.

Draco had wanted to join him to support him, but he had been refused. It had angered the blond, young man, but he had eventually calmed down and had promised Harry to wait for him in the dorms when he came back from court. His magical pets would stay in Hogwarts too, because Harry would have Remus and Lucius with him in case something went wrong.

"Everything will be all right," Draco murmured behind him and kissed his neck.

Harry sighed and leaned back against the strong chest of his boyfriend. "I hope you're right," he murmured, fear starting to claw at his insides. "I can't lose him again."

"You won't, my father will make sure of that," Draco assured him and turned him around. He gripped his chin and tilted his head up, placing a soft kiss on his lips. "I'll see you in a few hours, okay?"

Harry sighed again and kissed him back before stepping back. "All right, I'm going to Remus now," he muttered and exited the dorms.

He found Remus standing on the fourth floor, waiting for him at the top of the stairs. He was dressed in dark blue robes.

"Are you ready?" he asked softly, his amber coloured eyes showing his concern for his cub.

Harry bit his lip and nodded. "Let's go."

Dumbledore looked up when they entered his office. "I hope the trial will work out in Sirius' favour," he said gravely.

Harry nodded stiffly and made his way to the fireplace, not wanting to spend any more time with the old man than necessary.

Remus joined him in the fireplace and they Floo'd to the Ministry. The last thing Harry saw before the fire took him away was the intense, weird look in Dumbledore's eyes.

Harry sighed in relief when he saw Sirius sitting in the middle of the courtroom, bound to his chair. His hair was tangled and a mess, his clothes were dirty and his cheekbones were more pronounced and he looked tired, but he looked _sane_. His eyes didn't have a crazy tint to them and he smiled weakly when he saw Harry and Remus.

Harry looked up when a shadow blocked his view and saw that it was Lucius.

"Did you find anything that could help Sirius?" Remus asked urgently, grabbing Harry's hand, squeezing it.

Lucius smirked and with that one action he managed to reassure Remus and Harry. A Malfoy only smirked when they knew they were the winning party. Harry never thought he would be one day relieved to see a Malfoy smirk.

"Don't worry; the witness was smart, but he forgot one tiny thing," Lucius informed them smug.

"And what was that?" Harry asked curiously.

"Just wait and watch." Lucius settled himself in the chair next to Harry, putting his cane next to him.

The whole room went silent when the jury entered the room. Like last time Madam Bones was sitting there and she looked at Sirius with a frown and a huff.

"I declare this case open. Sirius Orion Black, thirty-seven years old, accused of child abuse. Victim: Harry James Potter, sixteen year old."

Harry got a shock when he saw Percy reading the accusations. He felt ill at the pleased look in Percy's eyes.

Madam Bones looked at the Aurors. "You may present the evidence," she said in a grave voice.

McCormack placed a Pensive on a table in the middle of the room and poured the memory in it. This time the memory was played outside the Pensive and Harry looked down at the floor, avoiding the shocked gazes of the other witches and wizards who were staring at the memory in disgust.

Harry felt the grip on his hand tighten and when he stared at Remus, he saw how pale the man had become. Sirius himself was looking at the memory in loathing, sneering when some wizards glared at him.

The memory ended and McCormack put it back in the bottle before addressing the jury. "I think it was fairly obvious what happened that day. Mister Black lost his temper and decided that it was a good idea to turn his anger towards his godson. He is the godfather and the guardian of Harry Potter, yes, but we can't allow him to go away with this. Next time, he may seriously injure the boy or even kill him in his rage. We can't allow that to happen," he said coolly before going to his seat again.

The jury began to murmur and going by the looks they threw at Sirius, it wasn't in the man's favour.

Madam Bones looked at Lucius. "Do you have anything to say in defence of Sirius Black?"

Lucius stood up, smirking. "As a matter of fact, yes, I have." He gestured towards one man who was sitting one row below them. "I had other Aurors investigating this case; Aurors who interrogated everyone."

McCormack's eye twitched and his jaw clenched.

The Auror whom Lucius mentioned was a man with shaggy, brown hair and sparkling, blue eyes. He had a slim built and was a bit shorter than Lucius.

He came forwards and put two bottles on the table. He picked one up. "This bottle contains the memory of Minerva McGonagall, professor Transfiguration at Hogwarts. She knows how Harry Potter acquired the bruises. This is her memory of that evening." He poured the substance in the Pensive.

The memory started. McGonagall was walking through a corridor when suddenly her head shot up when she heard yelling. She hurried up the stairs and when she came to a standstill, she saw Harry lying on the floor, holding his ribs with Ron flying towards him with his fist raised. Ron was held back by Sirius.

They jury saw how McGonagall brought Ron into her office and made him sit down.

"Ronald Weasley, what on earth possessed you to get into a fight with Mister Potter?" she snapped, her eyes sparkling in fury. Harry shivered when he saw that.

Ron glared. "He insulted my mother!" he hissed.

"And you thought the best reaction to that was fighting him? I'm deeply disappointed in you, Mister Weasley; I had thought you would be more mature. Hundred points of Gryffindor and you'll be serving detention with me next Thursday," McGonagall told him sternly.

The memory ended.

"As you could see, it was Ronald Weasley who put those bruises on Harry Potter, not Sirius Black," the Auror said calmly. "It happened in a stupid fight."

"Then how do you explain the events in the infirmary?" one of the witches asked coolly. "It may be true that Mister Weasley caused those bruises on Potter's arms and chest, but it was clear from the other memory that Black tried to strangle Potter and slapped him across his face."

"We interrogated the school nurse, Poppy Pomfrey too," the Auror replied. "She examined Potter and after she came back to the room to tell the men to keep it quiet, she didn't notice any sign of attempted strangulation or a bruised cheek. I could show you her memory too, if you would like."

"Maybe Black used charms to hide the bruises," another wizard suggested.

"In such a short time?" the Auror replied sceptically. "The Mediwizard who examined Potter here during the interrogation was a hundred per cent certain of the fact that Sirius Black never punched Potter, nor slapped him or tried to strangle him. If he had made an attempt to strangle him, the trachea would have been crushed and Potter would have had difficulty breathing. This was not the case."

"Are you implying that Black was framed?" a witch in the back asked sceptically.

"Let's face the facts, madam. Why would Black wait a whole year to abuse Potter in a public place when he had so many times where he was alone with the boy? Abuse takes place in private settings – an infirmary isn't that private. The school nurse was right next to them in her office, she would have heard the slap if Black had hit Potter."

"If people lose their temper, they won't wait to take their chance in a private setting," another wizard argued.

"Let me ask you a question; is Harry Potter powerful?" the Auror asked calmly.

"What kind of question is that?" the wizard asked, frowning.

"Just answer please; it's relevant to this case."

"Well yes, I think we can consider Potter to be powerful," the wizard replied warily.

"So we all agree on the fact that Potter is powerful. We can't deny that; he has after all survived He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named many times. If he survives such an evil and dark powerful wizard, why on earth would he just lay there and let his godfather hit him?" the Auror asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Children often let people whom they consider as family abuse them, because they love them," an old wizard in the front remarked. "Potter probably refused to defend himself, because it was his godfather who was hurting him and he didn't want to hurt his godfather."

The Auror inclined his head. "That's a plausible possibility. But even if Potter didn't want to hurt his godfather intentionally, his magic would have reacted and defended him."

"Potter is sixteen; he doesn't have magical outbursts like a child anymore."

"When a wizard or witch experiences deep and heavy emotions, such as fear as Potter would have felt if Black tried to strangle him, his or her magic would have reacted, regardless of how old one is."

The court room went silent again.

"Are there any more questions or witnesses?" Madam Bones asked, looking around. The jury all shook their head. "Then it's time to decide whether or not Sirius Black is guilty of child abuse."

Harry held his breath and tensed. This was the moment of truth. Now they would know if he would lose Sirius again or not. He wiped his clammy hand off on his pants and swallowed. Next to him Remus was trembling slightly.

"Who thinks Sirius Black is guilty of child abuse, raise your hand."

Forty-one people raised their hands and Harry's heart sank and he bit his lip so hard that he tasted blood.

"Who thinks Sirius Black is not guilty, raise your hand."

Fifty-nine people (including Madam Bones) raised their hands and Harry's heart made a jump.

"Sirius Black, you are hereby free of all charges. You are free to go," Madam Bones smiled.

The cuffs keeping Sirius bound to the chair disappeared and he jumped up. An Auror came to him and handed over his wand.

Sirius rubbed his wrists, but was immediately attacked by a black blur who hugged him tightly.

"I hope this won't be something regular - you hugging me when I'm being freed of an accusation," Sirius grinned weakly, but hugged Harry back fiercely, keeping one hand free to clasp it around Remus' neck, drawing him in to kiss him full on his mouth.

"I missed you so much," Harry whispered, wiping his eyes free of tears that had escaped when he had heard the verdict.

"I missed you too, kiddo," Sirius whispered back. "Thank you for defending me, Lucius."

Lucius scoffed. "Please, the accusations were too weak, it was easy."

Sirius shook his head but grinned. "Still thanks."

"Come on now, Sirius, let's go home," Remus smiled.

"Home, I like the sound of that," Sirius mused and with his arms around his lover and his godson he left the courtroom, but not before swearing inwardly that he would find the person who had done this to him and he would make him pay.


	28. Training

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: mostly drama
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it
> 
> Also, apologies if the Latin spells are wrong

**Chapter 28: Training**

Blaise looked from his lazy position on his bed at Draco, who was muttering curses underneath his breath and pacing back and forth. He had been doing that ever since Harry had left for the trial and no amount of threats or pleading had made him stop. Millicent had left the room, because she was tired of seeing Draco in that kind of state. Blaise would have left too except that he was lying quite comfortable on the bed and he really couldn't find the energy to move now.

"Draco, will you please stop pacing around like a lunatic?" Blaise sighed and clasped his hands beneath his neck.

Draco glared at him for a few seconds before turning back to glare holes in the stone floor. Ruby, Sapphire and Garin followed his path with their glowing eyes. They had settled themselves on Harry's bed, patiently waiting for their master to return.

"Relax, it's going to be all right. You said so yourself - your father has never lost a case before," Blaise pointed out.

Finally Draco stopped pacing. He turned around to face the dark haired boy and his glare got fiercer. "I know I said that, you don't have to repeat my own words! My father has never lost a case before, yes, but he has also never had to defend the notorious Sirius Black! My cousin has been declared innocent, but that doesn't mean that people just willingly accept him back in society!" he snapped and raked a hand through his hair frustrated. "I mean, it's just a bit too coincidentally that he gets accused again. Whoever is behind this, will make sure my father will have a hard time getting Black declared innocent."

Blaise sat up, frowning. "Behind this? You already told me that the memory was a fake one, but who in this castle would want to hurt Black like that? I mean child abuse is not a laughing matter, especially not now considering it concerns Harry. It wouldn't surprise me if they ordered the Kiss."

Draco bit on his lip and fell down on his bed with a sigh. "I hope it doesn't come to that. If Black gets the kiss, I don't know if Harry would ever get over that. Hell, he would probably go on a rampage, not to mention that Lupin will be pissed as hell too."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I'm sure it will all turn out just fine. I mean, we're talking about Black here; he's the one who managed to stay sane in Azkaban even after twelve years. He even managed to escape – I don't think they will be able to get him declared guilty. Besides it's their word against Harry's. If Harry doesn't admit the facts, they can't do shit," Blaise said calmly. "And they have your father on their side."

"True, true," Draco muttered, staring at the door. "I just keep wondering who managed to produce a memory that fooled the whole Ministry."

Blaise shrugged. "We probably won't ever know it, unless they can find some clues to the identity of this so called witness. And they finding a clue is similar to a snowball chance in hell. Producing false memories requires a lot of power and concentration and that's not something many wizards or witches can do."

"Hm."

Both boys turned around in surprise when Harry's pets jumped off the bed and went over to the door, scratching at it and softly cooing. Garin was wrapped around Ruby's neck and was looking at Draco, hissing. **"Master is back.** "

"How do you …?" Draco shook his head. "Never mind, I'm coming."

"What? Where are you going?" Blaise asked surprised.

"Harry is back." Was all he got to hear before Draco disappeared, closing the door behind him.

"How did he …?" Blaise looked puzzled at the ceiling, but decided it wasn't worth the headache he would get from trying to figure out how Draco knew Harry was back. Maybe he would finally get the chance to catch some much needed sleep. Daphne had been keeping him up late the last few weeks …

* * *

"All right, Harry and I'll go first, Remus and Lucius, you follow us," Sirius said cheerily when they stopped in front of the fireplace.

"Why would you go first with Harry?" Lucius asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because Harry would manage to fall flat on his face if he went alone in the Floo," Sirius grinned and laughed harder when Harry jabbed him in his side.

"Hey, I won't fall flat on my face!" Harry protested, crossing his arms.

"You can't step out of the Floo without tripping," Sirius pointed out.

Harry couldn't think of anything else than sticking his tongue out, making Sirius laugh again.

Sirius swung his arm around Harry's shoulders and directed him into the Floo, shouting, "Dumbledore's office!"

Like predicted, Harry stumbled when he landed into the fireplace in Dumbledore's office. Sirius hold him back just in time before his face had a meeting with the stone floor.

"So, you won't fall flat on your face, right?" Sirius mused softly.

Harry glared at him, stepping out of the fireplace and brushing the soot of his clothes. "Oh, shut up," he growled.

Sirius stepped out of the way just in time to let Remus and Lucius through.

They had almost forgotten that they weren't alone in the office until a voice interrupted him.

"I'm glad to see that the trial turned out in your favour, Sirius," Dumbledore smiled, his blue eyes twinkling.

All four of them tensed up and turned slowly around, their face completely void of any emotion.

"Yes, I'm glad I had the help of Lucius," Sirius said coolly.

Dumbledore glanced at Lucius. "Yes, I can imagine he was a good help," he mused.

"Well, if you won't mind, we'll be going now. We have a bit of catching up to do," Sirius said tensely, his hand on Harry's shoulder tightening.

"Of course, I understand." Dumbledore nodded. "I will tell the students that you're back and that the lessons will resume again tomorrow."

"Do that," Sirius murmured and pushed Harry to the door, Remus and Lucius following closely.

* * *

Dumbledore watched them going with a frown and his glare deepening. Merlin, what the hell did he have to do to get Black out of the way? How much luck did that man actually have?

He had thought that having Black accused of abusing Potter would have guaranteed him a lifelong stay in Azkaban or with a bit of luck even the Kiss, but of course that damned Malfoy had to intervene. How on earth had he managed to get Black declared innocent? He had been ensured that the memory would have been enough – nobody in the Ministry had noticed it had been a false one.

In a rage, he swiped his arm over his desk, smashing everything on the ground. The few trinkets that had stood on the desk broke in tiny shards and were spread out all over the floor. One way or another he would get rid of Black. He just had to think things through and wait for the right moment.

Fawkes stared at him from his perch in the right corner, his pearly, black eyes sorrowful.

* * *

Draco followed Harry's pets hastily upstairs. They passed several other students who raised their eyebrows at seeing Draco following a cat (Garin and Ruby had turned invisible again), but they didn't dare to ask him anything. He was still a Malfoy after all and it was never good to piss that family off. Especially now that Malfoy was together with Potter.

Finally Sapphire stopped in front of a familiar painting. The man guarding Lupin's quarters raised his eyebrow amused at the ruffled, blond boy in front of him and smiled.

"I take it you want to visit Mister Lupin, Mister Black and young Harry?" he asked.

Draco nodded. "I'm very sorry, but I can't remember the password."

The man waved his hand. "Don't worry about that. I'm sure they will be delighted to see you." With that the painting swung open, revealing the entrance.

Laughter reached his ears when he entered the quarters and he spotted Black, Lupin and Harry sitting in front of the fireplace, his father sitting next to the window.

Harry was the first one to spot him and he stood up with a big smile. So Blaise had been right.

"Draco, how did you know I came back?" Harry asked surprised and came over to give him a quick kiss on his mouth.

Draco slid his arms around the slim waist and nodded to the two cats and the snake, looking at them from the corner of the room. "Garin was nice enough to tell me that you had arrived."

Harry frowned. "How did they know that I was back?"

" **Master and we have a bond. We always know where he is,"** Ruby told Harry, his tail swishing gently.

The dark haired boy blinked. "Well, that's … weird. Weird, but fascinating," he murmured.

"What's fascinating?" Sirius asked curiously, slipping his arm around Remus' shoulders.

"Oh, nothing," Harry smiled. "Thanks again for helping Sirius," he said to Lucius.

Lucius shrugged. "Anything to piss off the old coot," he smirked, making Harry laugh.

At that moment the painting opened again, revealing Snape in the doorway. He entered the room and snorted when he saw Sirius sitting on the couch. "Seems you have a never ending luck, Black."

"Aw, I missed you too, Snivellus." Sirius stuck out his tongue.

Snape narrowed his eyes. "I would be careful if I were you, Black."

"Or what? You're going to poison me? That threat is really getting old," Sirius replied bored, ignoring Remus' scolding look.

"No, you complete and utter moron," Snape suddenly snapped. "You have to be more careful with what you do now. The person who framed you is still out there and you can be sure you pissed him off now."

"Hm, I'll deal with that person when I find him," Sirius muttered with a dark look in his eyes.

Lucius frowned. "Please refrain from killing that person in an obvious way. And if you really want to kill him, at least make sure the evidence points to someone else. I can't guarantee that I get you out of the next trial without a scratch."

Sirius snorted and shook his head.

"How did you know Sirius was here, professor?" Harry asked, frowning.

Coal black eyes shot to him. "Salazar had heard about your short conversation with Albus; he told me where to find you," he replied calmly. Then he looked at Lucius. "I need to talk to you about something. Do you have time?"

"Of course." Lucius nodded and followed the dark haired man out of the room.

Draco watched them going and frowned. Had his father just put his hand on his godfather's butt? No, that couldn't have happened. He was probably seeing things.

He shook his head and concentrated himself on the conversation between Harry and his godfathers. Sirius was talking excitedly about the lessons he would resume soon and how he hoped the students wouldn't feel too awkward around him now. Harry immediately started to reassure him.

Somewhere during Harry's reassurance Draco had lost his attention to the conversation and instead chose to pay his attention to Harry, who was still clad in the grey robes. Draco hadn't thought about it when Harry had left a few hours ago to attend the trial, but he looked actually rather _hot_ in those grey robes. Especially the way they curved around his hips and showed his long legs.

He tried to ignore the desire coursing through his veins and he especially tried to tone down his arousal, but in the end his hormones won. And really, who was he to argue with them? It had been a while since he and Harry had been able to really enjoy their time together. He had understood why Harry had been too distracted of course; he never wanted to pressure Harry in doing anything with him. But now the desire to hold Harry, to kiss him and to touch him was too big to ignore and damn it, he didn't want to hold back anymore.

Harry had just bent slightly to place something on the coffee table, unknowingly giving his boyfriend a very pleasant view, when he felt Draco grabbing his arm.

"Draco?" Harry turned around surprised.

"All right, that's it," Draco murmured suddenly. "You're coming with me."

"Huh? But I want to talk a bit more with Sirius and Remus," Harry protested, looking back to his godfathers.

Sirius raised an eyebrow amused and Remus was staring at them with a strange knowing glint in his eyes. Harry really hated it when he looked like that.

"Too bad, you can talk more later. Let them catch up." Draco gestured impatiently to the two adults and then proceeded to drag his boyfriend out of the room, forgetting about the three animals waiting in front of the fire.

"But Draco!" Harry protested weakly, but nonetheless followed the blond Slytherin.

Remus cleared his throat after the two boys had left. "Would you like some meat, sweeties?" he cooed at Ruby, Sapphire and Garin. The two cats started to purr – Ruby's purr a lot louder and heavier than Sapphire's – and Garin hissed something.

Remus nodded satisfied and called a house elf.

"What do you think they are going to do?" Sirius asked curiously, stretching his arms.

Remus blinked and looked at his lover. Sirius was the most perverted of all the Marauders and yet, when it concerned his godson, he could act as innocent as a baby. Remus wondered how he did that.

"They are just having some private time. I mean, Harry was stressed out because of your imprisonment, so Draco will probably help him relax now," Remus replied amused.

* * *

"Draco, where are we going?" Harry asked, frowning.

"To the Room of Requirement," Draco replied absentmindedly, jogging up the stairs.

Harry blinked. "Why?"

"Because now it's time for you to relax." Draco rolled his eyes, indicating he thought it was a stupid question.

"I don't need to relax; I'm not stressed," the dark haired boy protested.

Draco snorted, but didn't reply. They finally reached the hidden room and Draco began pacing back and forth in front of it, furiously thinking _'I need a place where Harry and I can relax, I need a place where Harry and I can relax, I need a place where Harry and I can relax._ '

Slowly a door appeared in the stone wall and Draco opened it at a crack, checking whether the room had fulfilled his wishes. A fire was lit and casted an orange and red glow over the entire room. Candles were placed on the table and on the white nightstands besides the bed. The smell of roses and vanilla filled the air. The bed was made with soft, white sheets and looked very invitingly.

Draco nodded satisfied; this was exactly the room he had envisioned. He opened the door fully and pulled Harry inside, smiling smugly at his soft gasp.

"So, what do you think of it?" he asked, smiling, coming to a hold next to the bed.

Green eyes looked around, taking in every detail of the room. "It's beautiful," he whispered and absentmindedly walked over to the bed. His emerald green eyes turned mischievous when they locked on grey eyes. "So, how do you plan on making me relax?"

A smirk appeared on the blond's face. "Get rid of your robe and shirt and then lay on your stomach on the bed."

An eyebrow rose up, but Harry just shook his head amused and let the grey robe and his white shirt fall on the ground. Carefully he climbed on the bed and settled on his stomach, crossing his arms and laid his head on his arms.

He tensed a bit when the bed dipped with Draco's weight, but relaxed again when an exotic smell invaded his nose.

"What's that smell?" he murmured curiously.

Draco chuckled and placed the bowl on the bed next to him. "Oil."

"Oil?" Harry asked surprised. "Why oil?"

"You'll feel why," Draco promised, laughing and Harry shifted a bit uneasily when Draco sat on his thighs.

"Think you can hold my weight?" Draco asked amused.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I'll be sure to tell you when my legs start to get numb."

A slap on his thigh was his reward for the comment. He froze up surprised when he felt cool, slippery hands resting on his shoulders.

"Relax," Draco murmured and then the hands started to knead his shoulders, occasionally switching with rubbing and caressing.

Slowly, Harry started to relax his muscles, sighing and humming at moments when Draco hit a hard knot in his shoulders.

"Have you always been this tense, Harry? Or was it just the last couple of weeks?" Draco asked, frowning when he felt another knot, this time in Harry's lower back.

Harry shrugged. "I don't know; I never thought of it."

Draco rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Where did you learn to massage?" Harry asked drowsily.

"I didn't. Why, does I feel good?" Draco asked, fishing for compliments. It never hurt to hear compliments after all.

Harry chuckled. "Well, I don't have anything to compare it with, but I have no complaints."

"So, I'm fantastic?" Draco smirked.

This time it was Harry who rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, you're fantastic. Happy now?" he snorted.

Draco snickered. "Very happy," he whispered and bent down to place a quick kiss on Harry's cheek.

Harry went fire red when he felt something pressing against his buttocks. It seemed that the massage wasn't only good for him. He wiggled and heard his boyfriend groan throatily.

"Really, Harry, you should stop if you don't want to see the outcome," Draco murmured.

Harry blinked and still blushed, but was definitely interested in seeing where his wiggling would lead them. He turned on his back and caused Draco to fall on top of him, bracing himself against the bed with his hands next to Harry's head.

"I think I want to see what the outcome is," Harry whispered, smirking and clasped his hands around Draco's neck, bringing him closer.

Grey eyes blinked in surprise and Draco smirked. "Well, who am I to say no to something like that?" he murmured back and initiated the first of several fiery kisses that wouldn't make them leave the room for hours.

* * *

Lucius took a seat in front of the fire when he entered Severus' quarters. It was getting warmer outside, but they were still in the dungeon where the temperature almost stayed exactly the same the whole year. He raised an eyebrow when Severus took a seat across of him with an old, dusty book on his lap.

"I finally found the book that Salazar talked about," Severus sighed. "It was a hassle trying to find the damned thing. It wasn't even hidden in the library. I had to cast Search spells and Dark detecting spells before I finally got a clue."

"Where was it hidden then?" Lucius frowned.

"In an unused classroom. That room has not been used for centuries if you look at all the dust and grime in it." Severus grimaced, thinking of all the cobwebs and spiders scurrying around.

"Why would it be hidden in there?"

"Because it's full of Dark spells," Severus replied grimly. "And not only the Unforgivables or the cutting spells; I think even the Dark Lord would think twice before using one of these curses."

"Is it that bad?" Lucius asked lightly, raising his eyebrow.

"Bad doesn't even describe it." Severus shook his head. "But that means that Potter has finally a decent chance against the Dark Lord. I doubt he ever found this book when he was at Hogwarts. Otherwise he would have used these curses during one of the raids."

"Are there only offensive spells in it? Or defence as well?" Lucius asked absentmindedly, studying the black, faded cover of the book.

"I only found two spells for strong shields. All the other spells are focused on causing as much harm as possible," Severus sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"So, we have to hope that Harry will have enough with the Shield charm he has now, because he will only get stronger on the offensive side," Lucius sighed and leaned back in the chair. "Fantastic."

"We can call ourselves already lucky if Potter wants to learn those curses," Severus snapped. "He told me he would learn everything we teach him, but I don't know whether he will keep his promise when he hears what exactly those curses do to the victim."

"He doesn't have a choice," Lucius replied harshly. "This isn't some duel game; this is war and we need to win it. We can't let the Dark Lord win. Harry will learn those curses, I'm sure of it. He won't like it, no, but he will learn them."

Severus just stared at the fire pensively. "I'll call him to my office tomorrow night to discuss the book and the curses."

"Why tomorrow night?" Lucius asked surprised, snapping his fingers.

A house elf appeared immediately and bowed. "Whas can Bibby do for master?"

"Bring me a glass of Elven wine and bring the same for Severus too," Lucius ordered.

The elf bowed again and popped away. Five seconds later, a plate appeared with two wine glasses on it, filled with a dark red liquid, together with the dark green wine bottle.

"I suspect that the brat will be too occupied tonight to pay the necessary attention needed for this talk," Severus explained drily, accepting the wine glass. "I need to inform the mutt and the wolf to come too. They need to hear this too." A scowl appeared on his face at the mention of the two Marauders.

"At least you know for sure they won't protest when they see these curses. After all, they are going to save their godson's life," Lucius smirked.

"Let's just hope those idiots will realize that," Severus muttered.

"Well, at least we can use this evening for some … interesting occupation as well," Lucius purred and placed his glass on the plate.

Severus raised an eyebrow, but didn't object.

* * *

The following day, Harry walked around with a big smile on his face. His godfather was finally cleared from all the ridiculous charges and safe with them again. After they had finally left the Room of Requirement – Harry still blushed when he remembered all the things he had done with Draco – they had gone back to Remus' quarters to join them for dinner. Harry managed to tone down his blush, but he was certain that Remus had an idea as to what exactly he had done. Thankfully for him, Remus wasn't going to rat them out to Sirius. He didn't think he would ever find Draco again if Sirius knew what they had done already.

Harry shook his head and entered the classroom for his next lesson Transfiguration. At times Sirius acted like a worried father, afraid that the boyfriend would steal him away. Harry chuckled softly when he thought about that and ignored the inquiring look on Draco's face.

They were now transfiguring living mice into rats. It was the first step in learning to transfigure living creatures in other living creatures. Changing it to rats would be the easiest step in the process, because rats and mice were family of each other.

The spell required a lot of concentration so it was very quiet in the classroom. Of course that could have something to do with the fact that McGonagall was walking around, checking on her students' progress and silencing the ones who dared to open their mouths to say something else than the required spell.

At the end of the lesson, Harry had managed to transfigure his mouse in a rat, but it still had a white colour.

McGonagall came to check on his progress. She studied his rat and Harry held his breath hopefully.

"Very good, Potter. You only have to make sure the colour changes too and then it will be perfect." She nodded approvingly and Harry couldn't contain his beam.

"Perfect as usual, Malfoy," she added drily after watching the brown rat shuffling in the corner of his cage.

Draco smirked and nodded. Harry snorted when he saw the satisfied face of his boyfriend and shook his head amused.

* * *

It was during dinner that Harry received a note from Snape.

' _Potter_

_Meeting in my quarters after dinner. Bring Draco with you if you must, but no one else. Your pets are allowed under one condition and that is if they stay out of our way._

_Severus Snape'_

Harry furrowed his eyebrows. What would the meeting be about?

"Harry?" Draco asked, frowning. As reply he received the little note. "Hm, I wonder what Sev wants?" he murmured after reading it.

Harry shrugged. "I don't know. Guess we'll find out after dinner," he sighed and rubbed annoyed at his pricking scar.

Draco narrowed his eyes at that action. "Is your scar bothering you?"

"Just a bit," Harry admitted. "Don't worry; it just flares up every now and then. Nothing too serious. I use Occlumency too, so Voldemort can't get into my head."

Draco sighed. "If you say so," he said doubtfully. He only hoped that Harry's scar would stop bothering him once Voldemort was defeated. Of course that led to the thought that Harry had to be the one to defeat that man. That was something that Draco didn't like to think about. He swallowed and grabbed Harry's hand underneath the table tightly. Harry looked at him curiously, but he just shook his head, smiling weakly. He would make sure that Harry survived this war. There was no way he would let him be taken away from him.

* * *

Harry petted the soft head of Sapphire who was lying on Ruby's broad back. Ruby had grown a lot in the months he had him. He reached now up to Harry's waist. Garin was settled around Ruby's neck, hissing softly.

Harry took a deep breath and knocked softly on the door to Snape's quarters. His other hand was held in Draco's; the boy had refused to let go of him since dinner and Harry was content to just hold his hand. It was a nice feeling.

The door swung open and Snape stared at them with narrowed, black eyes, before he nodded and stepped out of the way to let them in.

"I trust you didn't tell anyone else about this meeting?" Snape inquired and raised a black eyebrow.

Harry shook his head. "No, of course not."

"Good," Snape muttered and lead them the way to his private quarters.

To Harry's surprise Remus and Sirius were sitting on the couch, conversing quietly between them. They looked up once they heard the footsteps.

"Harry," Remus smiled, but it was strained.

Harry smiled back weakly and pulled Draco along with him, his pets following behind him. Snape took the chair in front of the fire and that left only one chair for the two boys. Draco sat down easily and pulled Harry on his lap, clasping his arms around the lithe waist of his boyfriend. The two cats and Garin settled themselves on the green carpet in front of the fire.

"Potter, I managed to find the book that Salazar recommended for your training," Snape began brusquely, catching the attention of everyone in the room.

"Oh." Harry nodded and swallowed. He got a feeling he wouldn't like what would be said next.

"Does it have many useful spells?" Remus asked, his whole body tense.

"It contains many offensive curses, yes." Snape nodded curtly.

"How dark are those curses?" Sirius asked sharply. As a member of the Black family he was all too familiar with how many books existed about dark curses. His parents had tried to teach the curses to him, but had stopped as soon as they had received the news he had become a Gryffindor. Sirius could vaguely remember his brother learning the curses with relish which had made him sick. He hated those curses and what they could do to people. The dangerous thing about them was that that particular kind of magic was very attractive, very alluring. The power one felt when using it was incredible, the knowledge that you were the one who decided what would happen with the victim was an addictive rush. There was a reason why dark magic was forbidden; it was too addictive. Many wizards who experimented with it got addicted and didn't want to refuse the pull anymore.

Sirius was glad he had managed to resist the pull. And now his godson had to learn those curses to defeat Voldemort. He gazed at the boy in concern; even if Harry accepted the fact he would have to use them, the question still stayed whether or not he would be able to use them. Dark curses required at least a sense of hatred, if not bloodlust. Sirius wondered whether Harry could call up enough hatred for Voldemort to defeat him with a dark curse.

"They're probably the darkest you'll ever find," Snape replied calmly. "Salazar was the one who wrote the basic of it and after him, other dark wizards added their own curses."

"So I have to learn dark magic?" Harry asked weakly, his throat constricted with fear. He didn't know what those curses would do, but he knew they would make the victim suffer immensely. He wasn't sure he would be able to use them, even against Voldemort.

Draco squeezed his waist reassuringly. "We'll get through with this, I promise," he whispered in Harry's ear.

"Potter, I told you weeks ago you would be forced to learn dark curses and you gave me your word you would learn them," Snape said sharply. "I know you're not fond of the thought of using them, but you have no choice. If you don't use them, you will most certainly die. The Dark Lord won't hold back against you; he will use the darkest curses he has ever learnt. If you want an inkling of chance to survive, you have to learn these."

Harry sighed and let his head fall back against Draco's shoulder, tracing patterns on Draco's arms. "I know I have to use them," he snapped. "I just don't like the thought of it."

"From now on, I'll train with you on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday," Snape informed him. "On Monday and Thursday you'll train with the mutt and the wolf. They'll teach you more of the art of duelling and will practice the more common spells with you. They will also teach the defence part."

"And I? Can't I train too?" Draco asked sharply, tightening his grip on Harry's waist. He would not be left out of the training. He wanted to fight next to Harry; they would not leave him out.

His godfather looked at him pensively before nodding. "Yes, you will train at the same days as Potter. You're a target as well, considering you're the son of Lucius. The more knowledge you have, the better your survival."

The rest of the hour was spent with explaining where exactly they would train and for how long.

Harry just listened with a heavy, sick feeling in his stomach. The thought he would have to use dark spells made him nauseous.

At ten p.m. they were finally allowed to go back to their dorms. Remus and Sirius gave him a quick hug before sending him off.

Slowly, still hand in hand, Harry walked with Draco down the corridor, Ruby, Sapphire and Garin following behind them.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked worriedly, slipping his arm around Harry's waist and pulling him flush against his body.

Harry sighed and shook his head. "I don't like it that I have to learn dark curses," he muttered. "What if I can't resist the pull and will feel pleasure in using them? I don't want to turn dark." He swallowed; a bitter taste filled up his whole mouth.

Draco stopped, turning Harry around to face him. He gripped his chin gently and looked straight in the troubled green eyes. "Harry, you will never turn dark," he said forcefully. "You're too pure and too gentle to turn dark. Even if you use those spells, you won't ever fall under the dark pull. You don't have to be afraid of that."

Harry sighed. "I hope you're right," he murmured.

"Of course I'm right," Draco admonished gently. "I know you, Harry, and you don't have a single evil bone in your body. You won't ever turn dark." He gave him a slow, sweet kiss. "If you want, we can go to the library this weekend and see if we can find more spells to help. Even defence spells will be a great help."

Harry nodded. "I like that idea," he smiled weakly.

Draco smiled back and they continued their way to their dorms.

They never saw the pair of eyes studying them from the shadows, nor heard the mournful sigh.

* * *

As promised, Draco brought Harry to the library that weekend and they spent a whole hour searching for books that would help them in their training. They found several books that were about defence and some books with slightly darker spells and their counter curses. They brought all these books to a table underneath a window and spent two hours studying them, jotting down the curses they found useful.

Harry had the idea that the curses and spells they found in here would be useful to teach their group too. After all, when the fight with Voldemort arrived, it would help if they could get as much help as they could. Harry didn't like the thought of other people fighting too, possibly giving up their lives in the process, but he realized he couldn't hold them back. If they wanted to fight, they would fight, regardless of what would happen to them.

Feeling restless all of the sudden, Harry stood up. "I'm going to stretch my legs a bit and see if there isn't a book based on defence spells only," he told Draco, who nodded warily.

Slowly he walked down the aisles filled with books up to the ceiling, studying the titles. He needed spells that were powerful enough to deflect the dark curses, ones that could defend a large group if needed. A simple Shield charm wouldn't be enough in a fight against Death Eaters.

A sudden sound made him grip his wand and turn around in a flash. Warily he stared at a thick book lying on the floor behind him. Why had that book fallen down? There wasn't anyone in this aisle besides him. Carefully, still holding out his wand, he walked to the book. After having made sure there weren't any spells casted on the book, he picked it up and studied it.

_A guide to full defence_ by Marie Lebeau.

_What a coincidence_ , Harry thought, raising an eyebrow. He opened the book, getting curious in spite of himself and frowned when he found a folded letter. He looked around, but still nobody was near him. He opened the note.

' _This book will teach you the most powerful defence spells there exist. This is not a joke and this isn't a trap. Consider this a gift from someone who is sorry for the poor behaviour it showed to you._

_I hope this book will teach you enough._

_Sincerely_

_A friend'_

Harry stared at the note. Someone had given him the book he had needed the most. How had this person known what he needed? And why didn't he or she show herself? Who was this friend?

Dazed Harry shook his head. He would figure out who gave him this book later, now he had some studying to do. He hurried back to Draco to show him the book. He never noticed the pair of kind, brown eyes staring at his retreating back.

* * *

"All right, this curse is called the Inflammare curse. It will give the victim the feeling his blood is on fire," Snape said calmly. "This will give you enough time to cast another spell. The spell is 'inflammo venae'." He drew a circle in the air with his wand and then directed it at the rat in the cage. Immediately the rat started to shriek, trying to claw at his own body.

Harry watched in horror how the rat tried to run away. "Please stop," he whispered, getting sick.

Snape looked at him, but murmured, "Finite incantatem."

The rat fell down on his side on the floor of the cage.

"Does it kill the victim?" Draco asked, studying the rat. He stood next to Harry and put his hand on Harry's lower back, rubbing it reassuringly.

"The curse itself doesn't kill the victim," Snape murmured. "It's the victim himself who will try to end his own life to escape the feeling." He looked at them. "Now, you will cast the curse on the rats in front of you."

Draco nodded and stared at his own rat, murmuring, "Inflammo venae." As soon as his wand was pointed at the rat, the rat started shrieking like Snape's one, trying to claw himself to death. As soon as Draco saw that, he calmly muttered, "Finite incantatem."

"Potter, now it's your turn." Snape stared at the pale boy.

"Do I really have to learn this spell?" Harry asked, looking away from the two panting rats.

Snape raised an eyebrow. "I told you, you would have to learn dark curses," he reminded them.

"Yes, but I thought it would be something like the Cruciatus curse or the Avada Kedavra." Harry swallowed.

"I didn't think you would need to learn those, considering you're already familiar with them," Snape informed him calmly. "The reason why you have to learn these curses is because they will give you an advantage on the Dark Lord. He will only know a few of them, not all, so you will have the element of surprise."

Harry stared at his rat, who was cowering in the corner of his cage and hissing at him viciously.

"Potter, do you want to win this war or not?" Snape asked sharply, ignoring the reproachful, dark look of his godson. They wouldn't win the war if they kept coddling Potter like a small child. Liking it or not, he would have to use the curses during the fight.

"Of course I want to win!" Harry snapped, his emerald green eyes alight with anger.

"Then cast the curse," Snape hissed.

"Inflammo venae!" Harry snapped and his eyes grew wide when his rat started to shriek. The rat didn't even have the chance to start clawing before Harry stopped the curse.

Snape just looked at him, before continuing. "The next one is called …"

They studied and casted curses for three hours straight. After the Inflammare curse, Snape proceeded to teach them the Comburo Sanguis curse which made the victim's blood literally burn the veins and intestines. The Pulmo curse was used to suck all the air out of the victim's lungs which caused a slow and painful death. The Congelo curse made the body freeze up from the inside to the outside and basically made a popsicle of the person.

The curses took a lot of energy and when Snape noticed the boys were trembling on their legs, he called an end to the lesson and sent them to their dorms.

* * *

Weeks went by and Harry continued to train with Snape and his godfathers. The training with his group had been placed on Sunday, the only free day in the week. Besides his new training, he had to make sure he made his homework on time to avoid detentions. Two more Quidditch matches were given in April and May and for the first time in six years, Slytherin won the Quidditch cup again. McGonagall had shaken Snape's hand with a grim smile, but admitted her defeat.

After the first month of his new training, Harry had gotten used to the violent, dark curses. He still didn't like to use them, but he knew he wouldn't stand a chance against Voldemort without them, so he just learnt them dutifully and tried his best to absorb all the knowledge his professors were pumping in his head.

* * *

It was the twentieth of May and Harry and Draco were just learning the Bone crushing curse when the whole castle suddenly started to tremble, causing books to fall and vials to shatter on the ground.

"What the hell was that?" Harry asked shocked after the last tremors had disappeared.

Draco wrapped his arms around him and Ruby came to stand next to them.

Snape opened his mouth to reply, but was stopped when Dumbledore's voice sounded through the whole castle.

"All students must return to their dorms immediately. All teachers are asked to come to my office. Harry Potter is asked to come as well. I repeat all students return to their dorms. Teachers and Harry Potter, come to my office."

Harry and Draco stared at Snape. "What does this mean?" Draco asked fearfully, a dreadful feeling settling heavy in his stomach.

Snape looked back grimly. "This means that the fight has started. Voldemort is coming to Hogwarts."


	29. The last fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Mentions of wounds, blood, fighting, drama, a bit of angst, ending at a cliffhanger, one anticlimatic death
> 
> Oh and I apologize if the Latin in this chapter is wrong ^^; I tried my best to translate it and use the correct grammar, but I have a feeling that it is still wrong so sorry ^^;
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it  
> I also don't own the part of the lyrics of the song Run this town - that belongs to Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West

**Chapter 29: The last fight**

_Feel it coming in the air, hear the screams from everywhere_

_Victory's within the mile, almost there don't give up now, only thing that's on my mind is who´s gonna run this town tonight_

* * *

Snape sighed. "Well, come with me, Potter. Draco, go back to your dorm and assess the situation there. Keep everyone calm, we don't need panic right now."

Draco nodded, his skin paling. "I see you in the common room, okay?" he muttered to Harry and pressed a short, hard kiss on his lips.

"Okay," Harry murmured back and turned to follow Snape.

They didn't say a word when they made their way to Dumbledore's office. All around them, prefects and Head Boys and Head Girls were ushering the students to their common room, making sure that nobody was left behind.

Harry kept his eyes to the floor, not wanting to meet anyone's gaze. He could feel the tension and underlying panic humming in the air, it made his skin prickle and his stomach clench together.

He could feel Snape's dark gaze on him when they stepped on the moving staircase, but he turned his eyes to the steps. His grip on his wand tightened and he forced himself to breathe evenly. It wouldn't do to have a panic attack now.

The door opened before any of them had touched it and when he entered the office, Harry noticed that almost the whole Order was already there. Kingsley was standing next to the window, quietly conversing with Moody, whose magical eye was spinning fast in his socket. It made Harry sick and he quickly looked away. Tonks was talking to McGonagall, her hair a dull brown today.

Sirius and Remus were huddled together on a couch, their heads bent together over several parchments. It was Remus who spotted him first and he patted the open space next to him. Immediately Harry walked over to them, his legs feeling like rubber.

"Hey cub," Remus murmured and hugged him to his side.

"Prongslet," Sirius smiled, but it was strained; his dark grey eyes betraying his worry.

Harry just nodded back, a lump stuck in his throat.

Everyone stopped talking when Dumbledore stood up behind his desk, his face grave and tired. Seeing him like this made Harry realize for the first time just how old the Headmaster was. He had never looked so old before.

"I wish we had gotten more time, but it appears that Tom has reached the limit of his patience," he started, his blue eyes devoid of their usual twinkle. "He has collected his Death Eaters, the giants, Dementors and werewolves, Fenrir being one of them."

Harry could feel Remus tense beside him and he wondered if that was because of the mention of werewolves in general or because of the name in particular.

"The Ministry has sent their best Aurors to our school to help us and Mister Weasley has managed to bring over five dragons to fight on our side."

A murmur rose up in the room at the mention of dragons and everyone looked at a tall, red haired man, standing in a corner. Charlie Weasley nodded briefly to Harry when he caught his eyes and Harry smiled weakly back. So dragons would enter the battle too. Would it work in their favour? And how had he managed to bring over five dragons without anyone being the wiser?

"Hagrid is trying to gather as many magical creatures as he can find and who will be willing to help us," Dumbledore continued. "The Merpeople have agreed to fight too, aiding us from in the water. Even with all this help, we must prepare ourselves for losses. This fight will be brutal and not everyone will make it." Blue eyes gazed over every occupant of the room. "Nevertheless, we will fight with everything we have. We can't let Tom win. He will arrive with his troops in three hours, which hopefully gives us enough time to prepare. The shock moments ago was his warning, so please, don't take him lightly."

"Excuse me for asking, but how do you know he'll arrive in three hours?" a deep voice, belonging to a dark haired wizard with Auror robes, spoke up.

"A witch in his ranks gave us the warning," Dumbledore replied, holding up a letter, the ink glinting silvery in the sunlight.

"Who?" a silver haired witch, somewhere in the back, asked suspiciously.

"Narcissa Malfoy," Dumbledore answered calmly.

As soon as that name was spoken, it seemed as if a bomb had exploded in the room; everyone was talking loudly, expressing their shock and wariness.

"Can we trust her?" the same witch asked warily. "Who says she's talking the truth? She's in league with You-Know-Who. She can be lying."

"Narcissa never lies," Snape suddenly spoke up. Everyone quieted down, staring at Snape.

"How would you know?" the witch asked rudely, her muddy brown eyes narrowing.

Snape crossed his arms and sneered. "I have known her since our time at Hogwarts. She's cold – hearted and ruthless, but she despises lying. If she says we have three hours, we have three hours."

"Even if what you say is true, why would she want to help us? She left her husband and her son for You-Know-Who; why would she want to help us now?" a younger witch, dark blond hair pulled up in a bun and dressed in light green, asked, looking nervously.

Harry, who was listening intently, trying to take in as much as he could so he could inform Draco about his mother, startled when the door opened. His heart beating madly, he noticed surprised that Lucius had entered the room. He was dressed in dark robes, his cane hanging loosely in his hand.

"Narcissa is a spy," Lucius said calmly, his grey eyes piercing in the witch's eyes who flushed. "Bellatrix is her sister and she is close to Voldemort, giving Narcissa ample opportunity to spy on Voldemort."

"Why weren't we told of this?" Mrs Weasley asked angrily.

Harry tensed; how could he have overlooked her?

"The less people knew about it, the better," Lucius replied coldly.

Mrs Weasley's face flushed. "Are you implying we can't be trusted?" The underlying implication that someone else couldn't be trusted hung heavily in the air.

Lucius stared at her unimpressed. "If even one word about the truth came out, it would be over for her. Her safety was the most important thing. Not everyone here had to risk his or her other life as a spy."

Mrs Weasley opened her mouth to retort, but McGonagall interrupted her. "We need a plan," she said resolutely.

Dumbledore nodded and directed his attention to Harry, who resisted the urge to squirm. "Harry, my dear boy, how far are you with your training?"

Harry took a deep breath. "I'm ready," he said firmly, feeling Remus' hand squeezing his hip. He had to be ready, he had no other choice. In less than three hours he would face Voldemort again. There was a chance he would not make it, that he would die today. _But_ , he resolved himself, squishing down the fear that threatened to overtake him, _if I die, I will take Voldemort down with me._

No matter what happened today, he would make sure that this was the last day Voldemort was alive. After today, he would not be able to threaten or kill someone else.

Dumbledore nodded pensively. "We will try to make it as easy as possible for you. The Aurors and the dragons will be at the front line, the teachers and the Order behind with the magical creatures backing us up."

Suddenly, three ghosts flew through the wall, making Tonks jump and somehow making her fall over her feet, landing on the floor with a thump. Harry winced in sympathy: that must have hurt.

"Nick, what's wrong?" McGonagall asked alarmed when she noticed the wide eyes of Nearly Headless Nick, the Grey Lady and the Bloody Baron.

"The students are in an uproar. The prefects are not able to calm them down and the only reason they are still in the dorms is because some of the seventh years had the good sense to cast blocking charms in front of the entrances." The Bloody Baron surprised everyone with answering the question. His voice was deep and grave and everyone stared at him shocked for a few seconds before they leaped up in action.

"I'm going to talk to my students," McGonagall muttered and immediately left the room, Banning and Sprout following closely behind to calm down their own students.

"Most students of my house are calm, but there are a couple of students who are causing problems," the Bloody Baron continued, looking at Snape now.

Snape nodded thoughtfully. "I'll speak to them as well," he announced and glanced at Harry. "Potter, are you following me?"

Harry looked at Remus and Sirius who smiled back reassuringly.

"Go cub, we'll meet again later." Remus patted his knee.

Harry swallowed but nodded and stood up, walking quickly to Snape. Lucius followed behind him.

"Harry, would you mind telling Draco about his mother?" Lucius asked softly when they descended the staircase. "I would love to do it myself, but Severus and I need to go over some things before the fight starts."

"Eh, right, okay." Harry nodded distracted. In his mind he was going through all the spells and curses he would need to use if he wanted to have any chance of surviving the upcoming fight. Butterflies were fluttering in his stomach and he wiped his hands, clam with sweat, off on his pants.

He barely noticed the fact that they had entered the common room of Slytherin until he heard the hushed voices and felt a small hand grabbing his arm. Bewildered he looked up right in the eyes of Daphne who was looking at him worriedly.

"Come on, Draco is waiting for you in his room," she whispered and led him through the mass of students who had become silent the moment Snape started speaking.

"His room?" Harry questioned dazed.

"Yes, he wanted to be left alone," she answered and knocked on the closed door leading to the dorm Harry shared with Draco, Blaise and Nott. "Draco? Harry is back." she called out and five seconds later the door opened.

"Harry," Draco sighed relieved and pulled him in the room.

Daphne smiled and closed the door again before returning to the common room.

"How did it go?" Draco asked softly and pulled Harry on his lap, sitting back down on the bed, leaning against the dark blue pillows.

"Well, Voldemort is definitely coming here," Harry sighed and snuggled closer against Draco, settling his head on his chest. "They estimate that we have three hours before he arrives here and then," he swallowed, "the fight starts for real."

"So today is the day that …" Draco trailed off, but Harry finished his sentence for him.

"Today is the day that decides what will happen with the Wizarding world."

"Fuck," Draco sighed.

Harry chuckled weakly. "An appropriate term."

"How do they know that we have three hours? Voldemort didn't send a note, did he?" Draco asked drily. He tightened his grip on Harry's waist, bringing him even closer to him. Outwardly he looked calm, but inside he was an emotional wreck. In less than three hours he would be fighting for his life; he would be going up against older wizards who were trained to torture and kill. He swallowed when he thought of his Aunt Bellatrix. She was one of the worst of them all. She would have no mercy if she saw him, whether he was family or not.

He looked down at the messy, black hair of his boyfriend and fear gripped his heart when he thought of the fact that he could lose Harry in this fight. Harry would be the one who would go up against the most evil wizard who had ever existed; of course he would be there to help him wherever he could, but ultimately everything came down to Harry and Draco had never hated Dumbledore so much as he did now. Why should a sixteen year old boy fight a grown up wizard who had decades of experience? Why didn't Dumbledore take that burden on his shoulders?

Draco wanted nothing more than to take Harry away from everything here and start a new life somewhere else where they wouldn't have to worry about killing someone or getting killed. It wasn't fair that they were forced to fight for their lives now, because some lunatic decided that he wanted to show how powerful he was. It just wasn't fair.

"Draco," Harry soft voice brought him back from his dark thoughts and he looked right into worried emerald green eyes.

"So, how did they know?" Draco shook his head and focused back on the conversation.

Harry wriggled until he could sit upright and Draco allowed it with a frown.

"Well, that's actually a funny story," Harry laughed nervously and ranked his hand through his hair and he glanced up at Draco nervously.

Draco furrowed his eyebrows. "A funny story? How so?"

"Well, eh, the one who warned us about the attack and the time that we have left is actually …" Harry hesitated a bit before he continued, "is actually your mother."

Draco blinked. "Oh," was the articulate response he gave.

"Yeah." Harry shrugged uncomfortably. "Apparently your mother was a spy for the Order. She was in the best position for it, because Bellatrix is her sister and that way she could get close to Voldemort. Only a select few knew of her being a spy for us."

"Well, that is surprising." Draco breathed out and pursed his lips. So his mother had never betrayed them; her leaving had all been an act to ensure her position as spy was safe. He had never expected her to be a spy – she seemed too delicate for it. Then again maybe that made her perfect for the job.

"Draco?" Harry peered up at him in uncertainty, his hands resting next to his hips.

"So my mother was a spy, huh," Draco murmured. "It hasn't fully sunk in yet."

"I thought so," Harry chuckled weakly and gave him a soft kiss. "Your father told me to tell you that. He wanted to tell you the news himself, but he had to discuss something with Snape."

"Hm," Draco hummed and pulled Harry on top of him, so that he lied flush against his body.

Sapphire and Ruby were lying next to them, Garin curled up on a pillow. All three of them were very tense, knowing instinctively that something bad was going to happen. Whatever it was, they would make sure that their master and his family would survive it. After all they had bonded with their master – it was their job to protect him.

For a short while it was silent in the room. They could vaguely hear murmuring of the common room reaching up, but they couldn't make out words.

Absentmindedly Draco had started to stroke Harry's hair, his other hand rubbing his back while Harry was playing with a few buttons on his shirt.

"I'm scared, Draco." Harry broke the silence with his whisper.

"I know." Draco took a deep breath. "I'm scared too. I wish I could have taken you with me to live somewhere else so that we could avoid all this, but unfortunately I can't make that happen."

"Promise me you'll be careful?" Harry raised his head and his eyes were shimmering with unshed tears. "I'll be more at ease if I know that you're going to be careful out there."

"I promise, but I think you should be the one to be careful, Harry," Draco replied softly. "After all, you're the one they're after."

Harry shook his head. "I don't care; as long as I know that I won't lose you, I'll be okay. Swear to me that you'll be there after the fight has ended," he pleaded and grabbed Draco's white shirt tightly in his fists.

Draco looked at him solemnly for a while before leaning up to kiss him softly on his lips. "I swear that I'll be there. Do you swear that you'll be there too?"

Harry bit his lips and nodded. "I swear. I can't let him win," he whispered and bent down to steal another kiss.

The time he had shared with Draco seemed not enough anymore. Unconsciously he had always known that his day would come, but he had blocked it out for most of the time. It had seemed useless to worry about something he couldn't do anything about yet. But whenever he had envisioned the fight, he had always thought he would have nothing to lose. Yes sure, he had had his friends back then, but he hadn't experienced the type of love he shared with Draco. The year with him had been amazing and Harry didn't want that to end. He wanted to stay with Draco and wanted to be with him. He didn't want to lose him in a stupid fight. It wasn't fair at all that his time with Draco could be cut off tonight. He hadn't had enough time with him yet.

A few tears rolled down pale cheeks and Harry tried to choke back a sob.

"Hey, everything is going to be okay," Draco whispered soothingly and wiped the tears off Harry's face gently. "You'll see; everything will be okay."

"I don't want to lose you," Harry whispered and bit his lip hard to prevent more tears from leaking out.

"And you're not going to. Please, Potter, give me some credit. You're not going to get rid of me that easily," Draco smirked, but the corners of his lips were trembling.

"Good," Harry murmured and then sighed. "What do you say of asking Snape to give us that book from which those spells came? Maybe we can look for some other spells in the time we have left. I don't want to do nothing here."

Draco cocked his head and nodded. "Sounds good to me."

Ruby looked up suspiciously when they stood up and growled warningly, but Harry petted his large head and after promising they would come back, Ruby laid back down with a huff.

"Is it just me or does Ruby keep growing?" Harry frowned when they slipped out of the common room.

"Well, there was nothing that said he would keep being so small," Draco reasoned and grabbed his hand.

"Well yeah, but do you think he'll grow as big as a real lion?" Harry asked warily. He wondered if there would be enough room in Grimmauld Place if Ruby did grow as big as a regular lion.

"That's a good question," Draco murmured. He wouldn't mind if Ruby grew bigger than he already was. At least then he was sure that the lion would be able to protect Harry.

The dungeons were eerily quiet now. Usually some murmuring of the rooms upstairs managed to reach the dark hallways, but now not a sound aside from their footsteps could be heard. It reminded Harry of those horror movies that he had watched when he was a kid. Vernon would fall asleep after an hour of watching the movie and Petunia and Dudley were already asleep by then which meant that Harry had the time to sneak out of his cupboard and grab some food or watch a bit of the movie. He always arrived at the parts where someone was being killed and it left him with nightmares afterwards. One of the scenes that always was repeated in those movies was the character walking alone or with someone else in the dark while everything else was quiet. When that happened, you could be certain that the murderer would appear.

Harry shivered when he remembered some of the gruesome scenes and Draco looked at him with a raised eyebrow before he pulled Harry against his side, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Harry smiled weakly at him and then looked up when they came to a hold in front of Snape's quarters.

He raised his hand and knocked; the sound echoing through the hallway. Seconds went by, but Snape didn't appear.

Harry frowned. "Do you think he isn't in there?" he wondered. Usually Snape would appear a few seconds after they had knocked.

Draco shrugged. "Well, even if he isn't here, we can just enter and grab the book. It's not like he can get mad at us for trying to study more spells."

Harry stared at him. "If he gets mad, I'm telling him it was your idea," he huffed, making Draco laugh.

Draco grabbed his wand and tapped it against the dark wood, muttering the complicated Unlocking spell that was needed to gain entrance to his godfather's quarters. Only he and his father knew of the spell, because Severus considered them family.

"How …" Harry looked bewildered when the door swung open softly.

"Spell," Draco smiled and ushered him inside.

"Of course it's a bloody spell," Harry muttered underneath his breath and shook his head. "Accio _Exsecrationis atrae_ ," he called out and flicked his wand.

A few seconds went by and then a rustling sound could be heard and the heavy, old book flew towards him. He barely managed to grab it before it fell to the floor. The book felt heavy in his hands and not only because it was a thick book. Harry despised it, but he was smart enough to realize that without that book, he stood no chance against Voldemort. He sighed.

"Is that the book?" Draco questioned and came up behind him, glancing at the book in interest.

"Yeah, let's go now," Harry muttered, but they both froze when they heard a soft moan coming from their right side.

They held their breath when another moan sounded and they turned in the direction of the sound, halting at a half closed door leading to one of Snape's private chambers. Harry assumed it was the bedroom.

"What the hell?" Harry whispered and looked wide eyed at Draco who stared back confused.

"Do you think Snape's in trouble?"

"I don't know." Draco frowned and took a hesitating step towards the room. "Maybe we should check on him quickly to make sure he's all right."

Harry nodded and together they tiptoed over to the room, peeping through the open door.

What they saw made their eyes widen.

Snape was locked in a heated kiss with a long haired blond who seemed very familiar. When Snape released him to take a deep breath of air, the blond man shifted a bit and the boys gasped when they recognized the man's face.

"Father!" Draco exclaimed in shock and stepped back.

Snape's head shot up in shock and stared wide eyed at them both. "Dragon! Potter!" he said startled.

"Draco, we can explain!" Lucius said hurriedly and glanced between the boys and his lover.

"You were kissing my godfather!" Draco gaped. "What about mum? Wait, are you together now with Uncle Sev?"

Harry bit his lip and was torn between laughing and fainting of shock. Lucius and Snape together … Now that was a pairing he hadn't expected.

"Draco, why don't we let them explain before you go into shock?" he proposed, grabbing Draco's right arm and tugging him gently to the living room area.

"I'm not going into shock!" Draco glared and sat down with a huff on the couch, pulling Harry on his lap, clasping his arms around his lithe waist.

Snape and Lucius followed behind them, looking like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Look, Draco, we wanted to tell you about us later on, when it wasn't so hectic," Lucius started slowly and transfigured the chair in another couch so that he and Snape could occupy that one.

"When did you get together?" Draco demanded, but his confusion leaked through his voice. He had thought his father had loved his mother. They had broken up last year, but Draco had never expected his father to go on with his life that quickly. And with Severus of all people. It wasn't that Draco thought they didn't belong together; it was just weird to see the two of them together. Severus hadn't seemed the type to enter a relationship.

"Around Valentine's Day," Severus replied neutrally, but his hands were clenched in his lap, betraying his anxiety.

Harry blinked. "Eh, congratulations?" It came out as a question and he felt a bit awkward, discussing the relationship between Lucius and Snape while they had to prepare for a war.

"But how …" Draco shook his head. "What about mother then? Was the break up part of the spy plan as well?"

"Well, partly," Lucius admitted, studying his son warily. "Your mother and I love each other, Draco, but we don't love each other enough to stay together. The reason why we didn't separate before was because you were too young. We wanted to give you a real family. You can still see your mother – she will still be living with us in the manor – the only difference is that we won't be together anymore."

"Did you love Uncle Sev before this?" Draco asked, trying to wrap his mind around the fact that his uncle now had become a stepfather or something like that.

Lucius hesitated, but then answered, "Yes, I have loved Severus for years, but we didn't do anything until your mother and I broke up."

"Oh, okay." Draco nodded and pursed his lips. "All right then."

"Are you okay with this, Draco?" Severus asked softly.

"Sure, why not? If you love each other, you love each other." Draco shrugged. "I'm a bit shocked right now, but I'm sure that I'll be fine soon. Yep, no worries here."

Harry laughed, effectively killing the tense atmosphere in the room, making the others relax.

"Why did you come here in the first place?" Severus asked, raising an eyebrow.

Harry raised the book in the air. "We thought it would be useful if we went through these spells again before the fight starts."

They all tensed again at the reminder of the fight coming up.

"Are you ready for this, Potter?" Severus asked softly, studying the pale boy on his godson's lap.

"Am I ready to kill someone? No." Harry paused. "Am I ready to kill the man that killed my parents and made hundreds of families suffer? Yes. I don't like the thought of killing someone, but in this case I have no choice."

Draco rubbed his hip as a soothing gesture.

Snape looked at him thoughtfully. "Your parents would have been proud of you," he said abruptly.

Harry blushed and stared at him with open mouth. "Th-thank you, sir," he stammered, feeling himself reddening even more at the compliment.

Snape nodded brusquely. "Very well, why don't you go study that book? You still have two hours left." His face darkened and his jaw tightened.

"We'll do that," Harry murmured and stood up, grabbing Draco's hand and pulling him with him.

"Well, that was not something I expected to see when we entered that room," Draco spoke casually when they made their way back to the dorms.

Harry smiled weakly. "I'm glad they are happy together though."

"Yes, I'm happy too," Draco murmured. "Let's hope they stay that way after tonight."

Harry swallowed and squeezed Draco's hand, getting a squeeze in return.

* * *

Five minutes later they were both back on the bed, bend over the open book. Ruby and Sapphire had taken to lie next to Harry, their eyes trained on the book and Garin was curled up in Harry's neck.

They looked up when they heard a knock on the door and Blaise and Daphne entered the room with a weak smile.

"Hey, what are you up to?" Blaise asked curiously and sat down on the bed, cocking his head to the right to read the book. He frowned. "That doesn't look like one of our school books."

"No, it isn't," Harry muttered, rubbing his forehead. His scar was starting to burn more now. He only hoped that the burning wouldn't become so bad he wouldn't be able to see clearly.

"Dark spells?" Daphne furrowed her eyebrows. "Do I want to know where this book came from?"

"It's best if you don't ask any questions," Draco replied gruffly. "How is the situation in the common room?"

Blaise sighed. "They are stressed of course. A quarter of them have disappeared though."

"How so?" Harry frowned. Why would they disappear now?

"Because they are the children of Death Eaters and they are most likely meeting up with them somewhere," Draco replied drily.

"There was a quarter of Death Eaters here?" Harry squeaked. He couldn't believe he had lived with Death Eaters for a whole year without realizing it. On second thought, he should have realized that he would be living with Death Eater supporters when he entered the Slytherin house.

"Yeah, didn't you know that?" Blaise asked casually.

Harry glared at him. "It didn't really cross my mind, because I had other things to think about."

"Or people to think about." Blaise winked and Harry blushed, giving Blaise a good kick against his leg for good measure, making the dark haired boy yelp.

"Anyway, the first and second years will be staying behind in their dorms," Daphne said, twirling her wand in her hand. "Before we go, we're going to cast a locking charm on their doors so that if Death Eaters manage to sneak in, they will have trouble with accessing them. Some of us are teaching them some curses so that they can defend themselves."

Draco nodded thoughtfully and sighed. "Let's hope that they won't need those curses," he muttered darkly.

The others sighed and Harry was left with a heavy feeling in his stomach.

Two hours later, they were startled by another heavy explosion, making the foundation of the castle shake.

"Guess it begins for real now," Blaise muttered darkly and stood up, offering Daphne his hand to pull her up.

"Yes," she sighed and looked at Harry. "Potter, do us a favour and kill that bastard, will you? End it once and for all today."

"I'm planning too," Harry replied grimly and stood up. He glanced at his pets. "Sapphire, you stay here, okay, sweetie," he murmured and stroked her back.

She seemed to glare at him and gave him a small nip at his fingers before she curled up underneath his blankets.

"Good kitty," he muttered and turned towards Garin and Ruby who were staring back at him solemnly. He frowned when he looked at Ruby. "Draco, did Ruby get bigger all of a sudden?" he asked warily.

Ruby was now standing on the floor and his head easily reached Harry's chest.

"Well hell, he did get bigger," Draco murmured, looking at the lion warily. "Well, he is a magical creature …" he trailed off, but inwardly he was wondering whether it was normal for a lion cub to grow so big in just a few hours.

" **I got bigger to protect master."** Ruby sent him the thought and the flames on his tail flared up warningly. " **Nobody is going to hurt master when Garin and I are here."**

Harry smiled weakly and stroked Ruby's large head. "Just be careful, okay. I don't want to lose you two either."

Ruby nodded and after Garin had slipped around his neck, he silently slipped out of the room.

"You ready?" Draco asked softly and grabbed his hand.

"Yeah." Harry took a deep breath. "Let's do this," he murmured and they shared one last kiss before they walked out of the room, not knowing whether they would see each other again after this day or not.

* * *

It was bloody from the beginning. As soon as the students and the teachers, together with the Aurors had exited the castle, they were met with a large group of Death Eaters, all clad in black. Behind them, hiding in the shadows of the trees were Vampires. As long as the sun was out, they couldn't do much, unless someone came close to the shadows, but it wasn't long before the nice weather remembered that this was England and that it should be cold and raining even if it was May. The dark clouds took over and it wasn't long before the Vampires released a loud snarl and entered the battle. Now they needed to defend themselves from both curses, hexes and deadly bites. Most of them had figured out that a fire spell worked well enough to kill the Vampires.

Fenrir was probably one of the most dangerous Death Eaters. Because it wasn't a full moon, he couldn't transform, but that didn't stop him from mauling people with this teeth and hands or biting people so that they would suffer through the transformation too.

The battle had went on for an hour before an icy cold had spread out over all of them and from that moment on, they had to repel the Dementors as well before their soul got sucked out.

Voldemort hadn't shown himself yet, but Harry was confident that would happen soon enough as long as he battled further.

He and Draco had gotten separated not long ago and before he had lost Draco out of his sight, he had sent Garin after him so that his snake could protect his boyfriend. Ruby was running next to him, attacking anyone who dared to lift their wands against him. This time the victims didn't escape with only burn and scratch marks – this time they lost their life. Harry had lost the count of people Ruby had killed, but it must have been somewhere in the twenty when he had stopped counting.

Harry fired a cutting spell at another Death Eater who fell over, clutching his stomach and Harry dived behind a wall, hiding from sight. He was panting and the adrenaline was coursing through his veins, making him very alert. His whole body was covered in bruises, cuts and blood, both from him when he hadn't managed to dive out of the way quickly enough and from Death Eaters. So far he hadn't used the Killing Curse yet, but he was certain he wouldn't be able to escape that curse for long. He couldn't keep going on using Cutting curses. This was not some game – this was real life. And if he didn't kill someone, he would be killed.

Harry swallowed and wiped his forehead with his sleeve. He didn't know where Sirius or Remus was, having lost sight of them long ago and he was scared this was the day he would lose them.

He shook his head and took a deep breath. He couldn't think of that now. He couldn't be distracted. He had to find Voldemort and he had to kill him to end this war. It had been going on long enough.

" **Master, are you okay?"** Ruby asked him worriedly, standing guard for him.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Let's go …" he cut off his sentence when he heard a yell and his head shot up. That yell had sounded so familiar and it came from the greenhouses.

Without thinking Harry ran off, coming to a halt when he reached the first green house. Hermione had been the one who had yelled. She was currently lying on the ground, her wand several feet away from her, trying to crawl back from the Death Eater standing in front of her.

"Filthy Mudbloods like you should be wiped out," the man hissed and raised his wand. "Cru…"

"Avada Kedavra!" Harry yelled without thinking and the familiar green light, the same light that had ripped his parents away from him, sped towards the man and before he could duck, the curse struck him and took his life, his lifeless body crumpling to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Harry bent down next to the girl, checking her wounds.

They were minor, only a few cuts and bruises. Her robes were ripped and blood was dripping from a cut in her side, but otherwise she looked okay.

"Ye-yeah," she stammered, looking at him with huge, brown eyes.

"Good." Harry nodded brusquely and helped her sit up. "You should stay here for a bit so that you can rest. If you are quiet, I don't think anyone will find you here," he murmured and stood up, turning to the path he had taken.

"Har-Harry!"

He looked back surprised. "What?"

Ruby was staring warily at the girl, but didn't make a move to interfere.

"I-I, thank you," Hermione stammered. "Wh- why?"

"You were my friend, 'Mione," Harry murmured, smiling at her sadly. "Even if we have our misunderstandings now, that doesn't mean that I would stand by and let you die. I'll see you later, okay."

"Harry, please don't die!" Hermione bit her lip, tears making her eyes shining.

"Of course not – I have a ridiculous amount of luck," Harry smiled crookedly and then ran back, Ruby following closely behind him.

* * *

He had just entered the battle ground again which had moved towards the lake, like Dumbledore had planned, when he felt a spell cutting his back open and he cried out, falling on his knees. He hastily turned around to face his attacker and to his shock he saw Percy standing in front of him with a cold look in his eyes. With his wand in his hand.

Ruby was a few feet further, fighting one of the Vampires who had wanted to sneak up on them. Harry was on his own for now.

"Percy!" Harry exclaimed and scrambled up, eyeing Percy's wand warily that was pointed at his heart. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"You, Potter, are a nuisance," Percy told him calmly.

"Do you realize what you are doing? On whose side are you?" Harry yelled frustrated. Fred and George had been right – Percy had been planning something.

"While I don't wholly agree with You-Know-Who's policies, he has some valid points." Percy gained a malicious glint in his eyes. "I've been approached by one of his followers and he promised me a higher position in the Ministry if I manage to deliver you to him. Surely you want to help me."

Harry shook his head incredulously and took a few steps back. "You're crazy," he muttered. "If you really think Voldemort will let you live after this, you're a fucking lunatic." His eyes were trained on the wand – if only he had his wand now, he could bind Percy and leave him behind. He really didn't want to kill him.

"See, that's the kind of behaviour that landed you in trouble before," Percy pointed out and raised his wand. "It's time for you to get some sleep, Potter."

But before Percy could utter one syllable from the sleeping spell, Harry heard a familiar voice yelling, "Avada Kedavra!"

Right before his eyes, Percy sank to his knees, falling on the ground with his eyes still wide open, frozen in death.

Harry gasped and looked up in fear before he relaxed at seeing Sirius across from him.

"Sirius!" he breathed and was engulfed in a tight hug from his godfather.

"Are you alright, kiddo? I can't believe that he would do something like that – he's a Weasley for Merlin's sake," Sirius muttered and pulled back to look at Harry.

Harry studied him quickly – Sirius didn't appear to be heavily injured. Blood was streaming from a head wound and there was blood trickling out of a wound on his stomach, but he wasn't in grave danger.

"I'm glad you're okay," Harry whispered. "Do you know where Remus is?"

Sirius shook his head, looking pained. "I don't know. I lost him an hour ago when a group of Death Eaters broke us up and I haven't found him since then." His forehead was creased in worry.

"Do you think he …" Harry couldn't find the courage to finish his sentence, seeing the flash of pain in Sirius' eyes.

"He's a Marauder-we don't give up easily," Sirius tried to joke, but his smile was strained.

"We'll find him again," Harry promised and squeezed Sirius' hand.

"Be careful, pup. I don't want to lose you either," Sirius murmured and gave him another hug.

"You be careful too," Harry murmured and that was all they could say before they were forced to defend themselves against three Death Eaters who had tried to Stun them.

They managed to take them out after a short scuffle and then Sirius had to drag Harry out of the way of another curse aimed at him.

When they looked in the direction where the curse had come from, they saw to their shock Ron standing there, fury written all over his face.

"YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE! YOU KILLED MY BROTHER!" Ron roared and fired another spell that would have broken Harry's arm if he hadn't leapt out of the way.

"Get away from here – I'll handle him!" Sirius pushed Harry to the path, calling up a shield around them.

"Please don't kill him – he's just grieving now," Harry pleaded and accepted his wand back.

"I'll try not to," Sirius promised and gave him another push. "Go on, pup. I'll be right behind you."

Harry swallowed and nodded and ran away, Ruby joining him a few seconds later with blood still dripping from his mouth.

* * *

"Come on, wolfie. Come out and play." Bellatrix could be heard giggling in the forest.

Remus was hiding behind a tree, nearby the territory of the Centaurs. He was waiting for the moment where Bellatrix would enter his reach so that he could teach her a lesson. He had never forgotten the fact that it had been her fault that Sirius had almost died and he had waited for the chance to get revenge. And now he would have it. He would make sure that by the time he was done with her, she would regret the fact that she had tried to kill the mate of a werewolf.

"I want to play with my wolfie," Bellatrix cooed and giggled madly again.

She sounded like she was near him.

Remus took a deep breath and stepped from behind the tree, looking grimly at the black haired witch standing a few feet away from him.

"Oh, wolfie came out to play, how nice." She giggled again, twirling her wand in the air. Without warning a dagger flew at high speed to him and would have struck his leg if he hadn't jumped up in time.

"Wolfie knows how to play. Good, that makes it more interesting," she grinned and he barely avoided a Crucio aimed at him.

"I think you've done enough playing," Remus growled and using the speed he had gained from his werewolf side, he quickly fired a Bone crushing curse at her which made her jump to the left, right in his path.

"Expelliarmus," he said calmly and she cursed when her wand flew out her hand. Her hand flew towards her hip where she kept another dagger and she had just managed to grab it when suddenly her hand was cut off straight, her hand falling on the ground, the dagger falling with it.

At first she stared at it astonished before she let out a blood curling scream.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" she snarled and tried to scratch him with her other hand, but screamed again when she felt her wrist twisting in an unnatural angle and the clear sound of bones breaking could be heard.

"Now you should know one thing, Bellatrix," Remus started calmly, circling around her with calculating eyes. "You made a grave mistake when you tried to kill Sirius last year. You really shouldn't have done that." He grinned in a feral way and in that moment he looked exactly like his wolf counterpart.

"You're a Gryffindor," Bellatrix spat, her eyes burning with fury. She tried to move her legs, but to her dismay noticed that she was bound to the ground with a Sticking spell. And she couldn't hold her wand to help her. "You wouldn't do anything more than this to me."

"That's the problem with you Slytherins," Remus spoke idly, tapping his wand against his hand. "You always think that we are too good to torture someone. But guess what, Bellatrix. When we want to, we can be as bad as you can be – and in your case, you got the jackpot with me." His smirk gained a malicious hint and Bellatrix swallowed.

"Now it is time to play."

Half an hour later, Remus calmly wiped his hands off on his robes, cleaning his wand with a frown.

Bellatrix was on the ground – well, what was left of her anyway. She had lost her entire arm in the beginning and the numerous deep cuts on her body were made worse by the salt that Remus had rubbed in it with glee. He smirked when he remembered her screaming. Served her right, the bitch. After he had gotten annoyed by her screeching, he had cut off her tong, leaving her to choke in her own blood. Before she could die however, he had cleared her mouth and then sown it shut with a common household spell. One of her legs was broken and laid in an awkward angle while the bones in her other leg were completely shattered.

When he had tired of her, he had simply casted the Killing curse, leaving her body to crumble on the ground. He looked at her in disinterest and snorted before leaving her there and walking out the forest. Either someone would find her dead body or she would get eaten by one of the animals that lived in the forest. Either way he didn't care. He had taken his revenge and it had felt _bloody_ _good_.

Remus smirked and entered the battle ground again. Now he only had to find that bastard Fenrir and he would be a very satisfied man.

* * *

They were all alerted when Voldemort finally arrived when the Death Eaters suddenly stopped attacking and the air grew heavy, tinted with a malicious, dark aura.

Lord Voldemort had finally arrived. He was clad in a black robe, a hood hiding his face while he slowly strode forward, coming to a halt in the middle of what once had been the beautiful grass lane in front of the castle, but now was nothing more than bare earth, holes in it from misfired curses and dead bodies everywhere, replacing the flowerbeds. Nagini was sliding towards a group of students, hissing warningly.

"Well, well, well," Voldemort spoke softly, his voice ice cold. "I remember the time that this place was beautiful, taken right from a fantasy book," he hissed. "Funny how it can change so quickly." He looked around slowly, his red eyes gleaming, making students shiver and frozen in fear.

"Where is Harry Potter?"

"I'm here," Harry called out and stepped forward, the students surrounding him hastily stepping back.

There weren't many of them who were in good condition. Many of them had to be supported by friends and the ones who were severely wounded were hastily brought back in the castle, Aurors standing in front of the entrance to stop anyone who didn't belong there.

Severus and Lucius had been carried off to the Infirmary an hour ago, both collapsing from blood loss and their severe wounds. Harry hadn't been able to find Remus and Sirius was on the verge of death, having suffered under the Cruciatus curse and a dagger being repeatedly stabbed in his stomach.

Harry was seeing red. His godfather was fighting for his life, he had no idea where Remus was or whether he was still alive, Lucius and Severus were both unconscious and many others were fighting for their lives as well.

Voldemort smirked. "I'm glad you are brave enough to face me. It will be your last time," he hissed.

"Harry, no!" Draco yelled and pushed himself through the mass, trying to reach his boyfriend in time. Just when he reached the clearing and was reaching for Harry, a terrible familiar green light sped towards him.

"Draco!" Harry screamed and wanted to push Draco aside, when he was pushed back by something heavy and before he could do anything else, Ruby sped towards Draco, snarling and when the green light hit him, a curtain of flames surrounded Ruby and Draco and the curse hissed when it struck the curtain.

Harry held his breath and trembled on his legs, but sighed relieved when the flames disappeared, leaving a trail of smoke and Ruby and Draco safely behind.

Voldemort narrowed his eyes. "That is interesting. I never imagined you would be able to gain a Nemean's trust, Potter," he remarked disdainfully.

"Harry, come back here," Draco insisted. "Let Dumbledore handle him, he's strong enough for it."

Harry casted a shield in front of him before he grabbed Draco's arm and pushed him back. "The Headmaster isn't here," Harry said harshly and nodded towards the crowd who were slowly disappearing inside the castle. "I'm the only one who can defeat him and I'm going to do it now."

"At least let me fight with you," Draco insisted.

Harry looked at him sadly. He noticed how the blond was trembling on his legs and blood matted his blond hair to his skull. One hand was clutching a wound at his hip and he was breathing harshly which made Harry suspect that he had a few broken ribs.

"No, Draco." He shook his head and stepped back, releasing his grip on Draco's arm.

"I'm not taking no for an answer, Potter," Draco growled and his grey eyes flashed in anger.

"But I am. I'm really sorry for this, Draco," Harry muttered.

The blond frowned. "What?"

"Dormi!" Harry said clearly and a blue light enveloped Draco, putting him to sleep immediately. Ruby caught him on his back. "Take care of him, Ruby."

" **I will, master. Be careful,"** Ruby told him and then ran off to the castle to bring the mate of his master to safety.

Harry turned back to face Voldemort. "It's just you and me now," he said grimly.

The Aurors, some teachers and most of the seventh years had started fighting the distracted Death Eaters, hoping to make it easier on Harry.

"This won't take long," Voldemort grinned, his long, bony hand raising his wand.

"No, it won't." Harry took a deep breath, gagging almost at the smell of death that hung heavily in the air.

"Crucio," Voldemort hissed and Harry hastily duck aside, out of the path of the curse and shot one of his own at Voldemort.

"Inflammo venae!" he yelled and for a few seconds Voldemort was left chocking for air before he managed to break the curse, in which Harry had had the time to sprint towards the forest.

"Potter, now is not the time to play games," Voldemort hissed, but glided towards him, a purple light coming out of his wand, setting a tree on fire when Harry managed to duck.

Harry kept running, luring Voldemort further in the forest, until he came into a clearing and he stopped, panting and looking around. He couldn't move forwards, because a long wall of large trees were blocking his path and when he turned to his right, his path got blocked off by the ground which suddenly rose up, creating a natural wall.

Running to his left, he came to a screeching halt when a wall of fire blocked his escape route.

"Look at that, little Potter has nowhere to run anymore." Voldemort's cold voice sounded behind him and Harry whirled around, wand trained at the dark wizard.

He stepped back until his back hit a tree and he stood still. His breathing was heavy and his heart was beating painfully against his ribs. He could feel his legs tremble from exhaustion and he only managed to stay upright by sheer will. His vision had begun to blurry when the pain in his head became worse, like a hammer slamming against metal.

"You put up a good fight, Potter, I give you that," Voldemort spoke calmly and slowly walked forwards, reducing the distance between them. "But it's time to end this now. Don't worry, you will soon meet your parents again and I will be nice enough to send your little boyfriend behind you."

Harry ranked his mind to find a suitable curse to kill Voldemort. He couldn't use the Killing curse, because Voldemort would be expecting that. Most of the curses he had learnt would only torture him, but not kill him. Panic rose up, squeezing his heart. Maybe he couldn't do this, maybe he would be killed here.

_No, I can't give up now,_ Harry admonished himself and raised his wand. _I have gone too far to give up now._

And in that moment he knew exactly which curse to use to end this war once and for all.

"Avada Kedavra!"

"Congelo corpus!"

A ice blue light and an eerie green light met each other in the middle of the clearing, but suddenly the green light became absorbed by the blue and Voldemort could do nothing but widen his eyes before the curse struck his body and his whole body from the inside to the outside turned into ice, freezing his heart, lungs and brains and thus effectively killing him.

Harry gasped and stared wide eyed at the result of his spell work.

"Reducto," he mumbled and the icy statue that once had been the most feared dark wizard spat out in thousand tiny pieces, melting when they hit the ground.

"I did it," Harry muttered dazed and sunk to his knees. "I killed him. I won."

A small smile graced his lips before darkness engulfed him.

* * *

When Harry finally woke up again, he was disoriented and had no sense of timing. He noticed that he was lying in a bed and judging from the white scenery he either had died and gone straight to heaven or he was in the infirmary. For the first time in his life he wished it was the latter. It would really suck to have finally defeated Voldemort, only to die afterwards.

"Ah, Mister Potter, I'm glad you finally opened your eyes." The soft voice of Poppy sounded and she came hurrying to his bed, waving his wand over him to check his vitals.

"How long was I …" His voice cracked in the middle of the sentence and he was left coughing and gasping for breath.

"Now, now, Potter, don't stress yourself. Your body is not quite healed yet from the fight," she spoke firmly. She looked hazard and very tired, but Harry couldn't blame her. He didn't want to know how many people had needed her care.

"Where is …"

"Don't think about that, Potter. You need your rest. You can speak to your family later," Pomfrey said sternly and handed him a vial with a green potion that Harry recognized to be a Calming draught.

"So they survived?" Harry asked hopefully and swallowed the bittersweet tasting potion.

Pomfrey's face softened and she stroked his hair in an uncharacteristic gesture of care. "Yes, they all survived. Mister Black needs a lot of rest, considering he has suffered a lot of blood loss, but he'll be fine soon; Mister Lupin has acquired some minor injuries, but will be fine as well and Professor Snape and Mister Malfoy are fine too."

"And Draco?" Harry asked with a raspy voice and laid back down with a sigh. He didn't know how long he had been out, but he was still feeling tired.

"He is fine too," Pomfrey smiled. "In fact, he has been sitting next to your bed for the entire time that you were out. I just managed to shoo him out to get some food. The poor boy was crazy with worry over you."

"How long have I been out?" Harry asked curiously, but felt warmed by the fact that Draco had been waiting for him the entire time.

"A whole week," Pomfrey answered and busied herself with changing his bandages, rubbing cream on the wounds where needed and cleaning them to avoid infection.

"A whole week?" Harry exclaimed, but that sent him back in a coughing fit.

Pomfrey tsk'd disapprovingly and rubbed his back. "Calm down, Mister Potter before you manage to hurt yourself more."

"Can I see my family now?" Harry begged, turning pleading eyes towards the nurse.

She opened her mouth to protest, but was interrupted by a calm voice.

"Poppy, if you don't mind, can I speak to young Harry for a moment?" Dumbledore entered the room, smiling friendly at Harry who tensed.

"Potter needs his rest, sir," Pomfrey said in a scolding voice.

"I'm aware of that, Poppy, but I really need to talk to him. It's not for long and then I'll let him rest," Dumbledore replied friendly.

Pomfrey huffed, but nodded. "Fine, but don't let him get too excited," she admonished him and left the room.

"So, Harry, how are you feeling now?" Dumbledore asked and walked over to stand at the end of his bed.

"I'm feeling fine, sir," Harry replied and eyed him warily. He wished someone would come in so that he wouldn't be alone with the Headmaster. He still didn't trust him and he wondered where he had been during the fight when he could have used his help.

"Good, well, I'm relieved that you finally woke up, my boy," Dumbledore smiled, his blue eyes twinkling. "We have been successful in keeping the press at a distance, but they will want to hear your story soon. But we will keep them away until you're fully healed."

"Thank you," Harry mumbled.

"I want to tell you that I am very proud of you for defeating Tom, Harry," Dumbledore continued. "I knew you would succeed – after all Tom never understood the notion of love."

Harry just nodded, not knowing what to say.

"What I'm curious about, though, is how you defeated Tom. We didn't find his body when we found you," Dumbledore said curiously.

"I, eh, I used a curse that made his body turn into ice," Harry answered hesitatingly.

Dumbledore frowned. "I can't remember that spell in any of the books in our library," he mused.

"It isn't in any of the school books or in the books of the library," Harry admitted, a flush colouring his cheeks.

"Oh, where then?" Dumbledore asked surprised.

"In a book that Slytherin and the other Founders wrote," Harry mumbled.

Dumbledore stiffened. "Isn't that book full of dark spells?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Harry rolled his shoulders in an awkward gesture. "I figured I would need to learn darker spells if I wanted to go up against Voldemort. I don't like using them and I won't use them every again. It was necessary," he answered and had the feeling he needed to justify himself which was stupid, wasn't it? He didn't need to justify himself for using curses to defend himself. He needed to save himself and the world and he had needed those curses to do the job. End of story.

"Who showed you that book, Harry?"

Harry opened his mouth, but something in Dumbledore's eyes made him reconsider his initial response. "I found it in an unused classroom when I was wandering around."

"Ah, of course." Dumbledore nodded, smiling, but there was something off with his smile. "You know I remember Tom looking through dark books when he was a student here."

"Oh?" Harry cleared his throat. "Well, I'm not interested in ever using those spells again."

"Ah, my dear boy, that's good to hear." Dumbledore patted his leg. "But there is one problem."

"What is the problem?" Harry asked confused and tensed even further. He could feel the mark on his side burning and he suppressed the hiss that wanted to escape.

"You're a very powerful wizard, Harry," Dumbledore smiled sadly and a movement from his hand attracted Harry's eyes. Dumbledore's wand was trained at him.

"Sir?" Harry asked and tried to reign in his panic while searching inconspicuously for his wand. Where the hell was his wand when he needed it? He really needed it now.

"I'm really sorry, my dear boy, but I can't risk raising another Dark Lord," Dumbledore sighed. "I hope you can forgive me."

"No, don't!" Harry tried to yell, but his voice disappeared again and he could do nothing but watch fearfully, not being able to move his legs.

"Avada Kedavra!"


	30. Draco's birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, with this chapter, this story is finished ^^ Starting tomorrow, I'll be posting the sequel to this one, called Survival of the fittest. (A little warning ahead: it will have Mpreg in it, but how that is possible will be explained in the story) The sequel is still ongoing, so once I'm up to date with that story on this site, you'll have to wait the same amount of time as my readers on the other site ^^;
> 
> Warnings: some foul language and a lemon (well, actually two lemons: DracoxHarry and SiriusxRemus)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 30: Draco's birthday**

_25th of May_

Harry laid frozen in the hospital bed, emerald green eyes wide and horrified, staring at the green beam making his way to him. He would die now and the only stupid thought that ran through his head was, _how will Dumbledore mask my death?_

Right at the moment that the green light would envelop his body and steal his soul from his body, the door flew open and crashed against the wall with a loud BANG and a veil appeared in front of him, turning silver when the curse hit it. A loud screeching sound filled the room and Harry's ears rang long after the veil disappeared.

After that, things went quickly. Dumbledore turned around quickly with a frown on his face and stared right into the hateful eyes of Draco, Lucius and Snape, who all pointed their wand at the old headmaster.

"Expelliarmus!" Lucius snapped, but before he could take the wand of Dumbledore, the old man smiled absentmindedly and suddenly with a loud crack disappeared. For a few seconds the castle shook and groaned when the wards were breached abruptly and they had to grab the wall to stay right on their feet.

Harry blinked and stared at the empty spot where the headmaster had disappeared. He began to tremble and it hit him now fully that he _could have lost his life now_. He could have died and that by the hands of someone who everybody trusted. What had Dumbledore been thinking?

"Harry!" Draco gasped and shot forward to embrace Harry against his chest, rocking him back and forth like a mother did to her distressed child.

Harry clung to the warm body in front of him and only when he felt something wet hitting his hand, did he realize that he was crying. His chest hurt with the hard sobs and he was gasping for breath, but he couldn't stop.

"Draco," he murmured and buried his face in Draco's neck, wetting his shirt in the process.

The blond Slytherin didn't seem to mind. "Hush, Harry, I'm here now. It's over. He's gone, you're still here," Draco murmured and rubbed his back soothingly, suppressing his own sobs.

His body felt cold with shock and he still couldn't comprehend what had happened.

He had been ushered out Harry's room by the head nurse who had reprimanded him for not eating and sleeping enough. He had barely held himself back from snapping at Pomfrey – how the fuck was he supposed to eat and sleep while his boyfriend was in a coma? In the end he had no other choice than to obey the nurse and tried to eat a sandwich with something that had tasted like meat with a spicy sauce. He didn't really care what was on his bread. Ruby and Garin had been sitting next to him, both their tails swishing back and forth in their anxiety to see their master again, when suddenly they both had stiffened and Ruby had started to growl, Garin joining in with angry hissing.

The only message he had gotten from Ruby before he was ushered to follow then was " **Master is in danger."**

His godfather and father had immediately followed him after having seen his worried and scared face, even though they had been forbidden from leaving their beds for another week.

The scene they were met with when they crashed into Harry's private room, stunned them for just a few seconds before they took action.

_Too bad we haven't managed to stun that asshole_ , Draco thought darkly and buried his face in the dark, unruly hair of Harry who was still shivering and trembling fiercely. Not that the blond could blame him.

"Potter, are you all right?" Snape asked curtly and strode over with a slight limp in his right leg.

Harry raised his head and wiped away the tears that were still escaping his eyes. "I think I'm fine, sir," he said in a small voice.

"Can someone tell me what on earth happened here?" Pomfrey stormed in the room, her eyes shooting fire.

Lucius sighed. "Please call the Minister and the rest of the teachers here. We have to discuss something," he replied gravely.

Pomfrey looked ready to protest, but one look at the grave faces of Lucius and Snape made her turn around to get everyone together. She still didn't know what had happened in the time that she had left the room, but one thing she knew for sure was that whatever had happened, it had been something bad.

* * *

"So, if I understand correctly, Dumbledore, the one who defeated Grindelwald and has been the leader of the Light ever since that fight, that same man has tried to kill Potter?" Scrimgeour raised an eyebrow and looked sceptically.

Lucius nodded curtly. "I know it's hard to believe, but that is what happened. Why do you think he isn't in the school anymore?"

"Why did he try to kill Mister Potter?" McGonagall frowned, her face marred with tired wrinkles. Her right arm was in a sling to avoid her arm from moving too much. It had been broken in three places and all Pomfrey could do was give the professor Skeleton and keeping the arm bundled against her body.

"He said he had to do it, because he thought I would become another Voldemort." Harry's quiet voice spoke up for the first time since everyone had gathered in the room.

Every pair of eyes shot towards the dark haired boy.

Draco had moved towards a big chair next to the bed, cradling his boyfriend in his lap. Remus was sitting on the bed, his large hand covering Harry's small, pale one and rubbing his thumb over his palm. Sirius was still asleep; Pomfrey had decided that it was better to let Sirius sleep through his wounds, because they were too severe.

Remus himself had managed to escape with a few burn marks and a few more scratches.

"What do you mean?" Banning squeaked worriedly.

"He said that he didn't want to risk raising another Dark Lord so he tried to kill me with the Killing curse," Harry replied softly, his other hand clenching around Draco's arm.

Draco rubbed his back and kissed his neck softly.

Scrimgeour leant back in his chair, his fingers tapping harshly on the wooden table. "You do realize that it will be very difficult to convince the public that Dumbledore has to be arrested and brought to Azkaban? People will think you have a grudge against him and want to take him down."

"Do you believe Harry, Minister?" Remus asked calmly, his golden coloured eyes glowing eerily in the day light.

Scrimgeour tensed and looked at him warily. He didn't have anything against most werewolves – it wasn't as if they had chosen to be infected with that virus, but the way Lupin was regarding him now, made him look like a wolf ready to strike once he had uttered the wrong word. There was no doubt about it that if he declared he didn't believe Potter, Lupin would make sure he would regret that.

"While I find it hard to believe that Dumbledore would try to kill a student," he began slowly and he noticed Lupin tensing. "I also find it suspicious that he would just disappear right through the wards. I'm certain the Aurors outside felt the breach in the wards as well." He frowned. "Someone who is innocent wouldn't escape and we have enough witnesses to prove his actions." He sighed. "I will issue an arrest for Dumbledore and will tell the Head Auror to form a team with the best Aurors he can find. You will need to deliver your memories and Potter, you need to talk to the Prophet. I know you have your issues with that paper, but for now they are your alley. Most people read that newspaper and if they read what Dumbledore tried to do, they will turn their back against him and it will be more difficult for him to ask for shelter."

"Thank you, Minister," Lucius said gratefully.

Scrimgeour shook his head. "Don't thank me." He sounded tired. "We finally get rid of the most dangerous wizard who has existed and now we have to go up against a man with enough power to make even Voldemort afraid." He grimaced and looked at Harry. "You really know how to pick out your enemies, Potter."

"Trust me, I hate that particular talent of me," Harry murmured with a sigh and leant his head back against Draco's shoulder who quirked a small smile.

Scrimgeour stood up. "Well, I'll inform the Head Auror of the recent events." He nodded to Harry. "I thank you on behalf of the whole Wizarding community for getting rid of a dangerous wizard."

Harry just nodded warily, feeling too tired to react properly. He had managed to kill Voldemort and had survived another murder attempt on his life by his own headmaster. For now he just wanted to stop thinking.

" **Go to sleep, master, we'll be here to watch over you** , **"** Ruby sent him the thought and he nodded to his large lion gratefully.

It had taken the teachers and the Minister a while before they had been able to ignore the huge lion sitting at Draco's feet with a snake curled on top of the lion's head. Even now, some eyes strained towards the animals, trying to mask their shock and interest.

Garin had assured Harry that Sapphire was fine and was still hiding in the bed, only coming out when Daphne came to give her food. She would only come out the bed once she saw her master back.

Slowly emerald green eyes slipped close, the last thing he saw was a blurry image of Draco kissing his forehead and Remus stroking his hair.

* * *

_27th of May_

"So after you woke up, the Headmaster congratulated you for defeating You-Know-Who and then tried to kill you?" The reporter of the Prophet, a woman in her mid-thirties and with red blazing hair with purple streaks through it, raised an eyebrow and looked at Harry expectantly.

They were sitting in the office of McGonagall with Snape sitting in the corner to act as supervisor. McGonagall was busy giving her own interviews to the press and taking over the duties as Headmistress now that Dumbledore was gone. She had given Harry her office to conduct his interview, because that room 'looked more invitingly than that of Severus'.

Snape was reading a Potions book, but every so often his gaze would rest on Harry and sometimes he gave him an encouraging nod when Harry struggled with one of the questions.

Harry was grateful that the man was there, because his presence calmed him down. That might have something to do with the fact that Snape had threatened to use his experimental poison on the reporter if she so much as dared to write false comments.

"Yes, he claimed he had to kill me, because he didn't want to risk raising another Dark Lord," Harry replied, his thumb rubbing over the necklace Draco had given him for his Valentine in distraction.

"Why would he suspect you of becoming the next You-Know-Who?" the reporter inquired curiously, her hand tucking a stubborn strand of red hair back behind her ear.

Inwardly, Harry rolled his eyes; Voldemort was dead for a week now and still people had trouble with saying his name. What was so hard about saying the word 'Voldemort'? "I think it is because he was afraid I would become more powerful than him." He shrugged. "I defeated Voldemort on my own and Dumbledore was the only one Voldemort was afraid of they say. So I think that the Headmaster thought I would become more powerful than Voldemort and that would apparently cause trouble for him."

"Would you become a next Dark Lord?"

Harry stared at the woman incredulously. "I just killed the man who killed my own parents and hundreds of other people – why would I want to become the next Dark Lord?"

"Because you would have a lot of power?" the reporter suggested eagerly.

"You can have a lot of power while you're good too," Harry replied coolly. "Having a lot of power doesn't determine whether or not you end up as a dark wizard or not."

"Some readers have expressed their worry that you will become dark, because you were sorted in Slytherin due to the ritual. What do you have to say about that?"

"That becoming bad or good isn't defined by which house you are sorted in," Harry answered icily. "Look at Pettigrew, he was a Gryffindor and he still sold out my parents to Voldemort."

The reporter winced.

"And look at Dumbledore, he was a Gryffindor as well and he tried to kill me. Turning into a bad or a good wizard is made by your own choice, not because of a house you're sorted in. But to answer your question - I'm not becoming another dark wizard. You can choose to believe me or you don't, but either way I don't care," Harry said annoyed and crossed his arms.

The reporter looked flustered and she fiddled a bit with her collar. "Well, eh, I think I have enough for a long interview." She stood up and gathered her quill and parchment, stuffing them in her bag. "Thank you for your time, Mister Potter."

Harry nodded with narrowed eyes and watched how the woman quickly left the room after throwing a nervous glance at Snape who closed his book.

"You handled that quite well, considering you were on your own for this one," Snape said calmly.

Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "Yes well, let's hope that the public doesn't think I'm a lunatic again." He scowled.

"As long as the ones who matter know the truth, it doesn't matter what the public thinks of you," Snape murmured and stood up. "I heard that the nurse is allowing the mutt to wake up today. Why don't you go see him?"

Harry grinned and shot out his chair. "Thanks, sir!"

Snape snorted and stepped aside to let the boy through.

* * *

Remus looked up when the door of his quarters flew open and he smiled when he smelt Harry coming towards the bedroom. He had finally convinced Pomfrey to move Sirius to their own quarters where he could rest – all he needed was a bed really and it didn't matter whether that bed was in the Infirmary or their own quarters.

He smiled when the door of the bedroom opened to reveal a flushed Harry.

"I assume Severus told you about Sirius waking up," he said amused and settled himself against the pillows spread out against the headboard. Sirius was lying next to him, snoring softly. All his wounds had finally healed though his side would be sore for a while.

"Yeah, he told me," Harry grinned and took a seat on the bed.

"How did the interview go?" Remus asked idly, his right hand playing with his lover's black hair.

Harry scowled and tugged at his hair. "Fine, I guess, Snape made sure she would only write the truth and no lies. But she still asked me whether or not I was planning on becoming the next Voldemort."

Remus snorted amused. "Well, I guess you have to deal with that nonsense for a while," he sighed.

Harry opened his mouth to retort, but was halted when his godfather started to shift around, mouth opening and murmuring something soundlessly.

They both held their breaths and leant forward.

Hazy, grey blue eyes opened slowly and blinked in the light of the candles. "You know," Sirius began in a raspy voice, "I really should stop dying; it's becoming very annoying."

Remus snorted and Harry broke out in a laugh, relieved to hear his godfather speaking again.

"I can only support you in that one," Remus smirked and handed over a glass of water.

Sirius sat up with the support of Remus and took a sip, sighing relieved when the cool liquid soothed his throat.

"So what day is it?" He looked around as if the date would suddenly appear in front of him. His eyes landed on a grinning Harry. "Seeing as you're alive, can I safely assume that old Voldie is finally gone for good?" he asked lightly, but his voice carried a tense undertone.

"Yeah, he's gone for good," Harry smiled and patted Sirius' leg underneath the covers. "It's the twentieth-seven of May to answer your first question."

Sirius groaned. "I was out for a week?"

Remus nodded. "Be glad that Pomfrey managed to heal you." He glared at Sirius who looked sheepishly. "Next time you arrive that cut up, I will kill you."

"Ah, I missed you too, Moony." Sirius winked and gave him a soft kiss against his lips. Remus tried to keep his glare, but the corners of his mouth were twitching and he looked away.

Sirius grinned. "So what did I miss when I was out?"

"Well," Harry began hesitantly. "What do you want to know?"

"Were there many killed on our side?"

Remus sighed and the light atmosphere in the room turned heavy. "Fleur Delacour lost her sister when a Vampire killed her," he began softly and Sirius sighed. "Fifteen Hufflepuffs from the fourth year died when they were ambushed by a group of Death Eaters and another ten of the sixth year died when they rescued five of the fifth year who were cornered. Ravenclaw lost twenty students and Gryffindor lost thirty."

"And Slytherin?"

"Astoria Greengrass was killed when she ducked in front of a spell to save her sister," Harry replied softly. "Nott was killed too – I don't know who killed him. Two girls of the seventh year died and three boys from the fourth year died when they couldn't defend themselves against the Dementors. Then there are a quarter of the students who either escaped or died too when they fought against the Aurors."

Sirius shook his head. "I can't believe so many students lost their live." He bit his lip. "And how are the magical creatures?"

"The Merpeople have lost two of their people," Remus took over again. "The dragons are all okay, but that was to be expected of course and the Centaurs lost one of their own."

"When will the service be held?" Sirius asked with a frown.

"At the end of June," Harry replied and crossed his legs. "They are going to replace the exams. McGonagall didn't find it appropriate to hold exams this year."

"McGonagall?" Sirius furrowed his eyebrows. "Why would McGonagall decide that? That's for Dumbledore to decide, isn't it?"

Remus sighed and looked at Harry, who nodded at him to give him permission.

"Dumbledore isn't headmaster anymore," he began carefully. Pomfrey had warned him not to let Sirius get too excited the first couple of days, because his body still had to rest. Of course telling him the news of what the headmaster had done wouldn't exactly keep his lover from being too excited. But he couldn't keep him in the dark about this – Sirius would be furious if he found out about Dumbledore at a later date.

"Why, did he die?" Sirius asked concerned. He may not like the old man, hell, he loathed him, but he was still a source to be reckoned with and he had managed to keep Harry relatively safe all those years when he was in school.

"No, he fled out the school."

"Wait, what? Why would he flee? What the hell happened when I was sleeping?" Sirius started to feel angry, not liking the fact that his lover and his godson were keeping something huge from him.

"Promise me you will stay calm, Sirius," Remus said urgently and gripped his arm tightly. "I won't have you overexert yourself on the first day that you're awake."

Sirius opened his mouth to protest, but one look at Remus' grave face made him nod reluctantly. "I promise to stay calm." He looked at them warily. "I'm not going to like what you're going to tell me, am I?"

"No, probably not." Harry took a deep breath. "When I woke up in the infirmary a couple of days ago, Dumbledore sent Pomfrey outside to talk to me." He began to fiddle with a loose thread of his T-shirt. "He told me that I was a very powerful wizard and that he couldn't risk raising another Dark Lord, so he – he tried to kill me." The last sentence was whispered and Harry looked away.

"WHAT! WHAT THE FUCK DID HE TRY TO DO?" Sirius asked enraged and shot up in bed, only to be pushed down again by Remus.

"Sirius, god damn it, I told you to stay calm!" Remus snapped.

"How the fucking hell am I supposed to stay calm when I get to hear that my godson was nearly killed by that asshole!" Sirius snarled and tried to fight against the tight grip Remus had on his shoulders.

"But he didn't succeed!" Remus snapped back. "Harry is still here and the Minister has assembled a team of the best Aurors to catch Dumbledore and bring him to Azkaban. The public is warned too, so he won't be able to seek shelter."

Sirius breathed heavily. "When I see that son of a bitch again, I'm going to fucking kill him," he swore; a mad glint in his eyes. "He has gone too far this time."

"And I'll be there to help you kill him," Remus said grimly.

Sirius smirked and then looked at Harry, who was staring at him with huge eyes. He grinned sheepishly. "Come here, Prongslet. I'm sorry for my outburst."

Harry chuckled weakly. "It's okay," he murmured and slid forwards so that he could hug Sirius.

"So in a month school will be over. What do you think of spending the summer in that holiday house your father left me?" Sirius asked casually after he had given his godson a tight hug. Merlin, it was so good to see his godson alive. He hadn't been conscious when Harry had gone up against Voldemort, but he did remember the nightmares he had had during his recovery. All of them had involved Harry and Remus being killed by Voldemort. He had never been as relieved as now to wake up and find his family safe and healthy.

Harry grinned. "That would be awesome!" he said excitedly.

"Blondie, Lucius and old Snivellus can come too – after all they protected you so they deserve a vacation as well." Sirius winked.

Harry gaped. "Are the potions messing with your head, Sirius? You voluntarily offer Snape a place to relax?" He ducked his head to avoid the slap Sirius wanted to give him.

"Oh shut up," Sirius grinned. "I'm feeling generous, alright?"

"Where is Draco anyway? I'm surprised he isn't here as well," Remus asked curiously.

"He's talking with his mum now," Harry replied softly and bit his lip. "She wanted to see him and he agreed."

"That's good for him," Remus murmured. "Where are your pets?"

"Relaxing in the dorms. I figured they earned it after the things they have done to save my life," Harry smiled weakly. He still couldn't get over his shock at discovering that his pets had been able to ward off the killing curse. But like they had stated, they would do anything to help him.

* * *

"So, that's why I wasn't able to contact you, Dragon," Narcissa spoke softly in her smooth clear voice. She was sitting in McGonagall's old office – the new Headmistress had moved into Dumbledore's former office.

His mother was dressed in a dark purple gown that covered her until her ankles. Her blond hair was in a simple braid and a single diamond bracelet adorned her wrist. She looked tired and she had lost some weight, making her even frailer looking than before, but she still looked as beautiful as ever.

Her small hand reached out to cover Draco's own slightly bigger one. "I'm sorry that I put you through all that pain, my son," she whispered. "Believe me when I say that there hasn't been a day that I didn't miss you and that I wished I would have been able to contact you. Will you be able to forgive me for hurting you?"

Draco blinked and wondered why his vision seemed so blurry before he realized that a sheen of tears blurring his vision. He quickly forced them back and swallowed the lump that had settled in his throat. Here was his mother again, the one person he had thought he had lost forever after that fateful afternoon last year. She was here again and she was alive and _had missed him._ She had missed him like he had missed her and she still loved him.

"Of course I forgive you, mother," Draco smiled and gave her hand a squeeze. "I missed you as well."

Narcissa smiled relieved and stood up, startling the blond boy with the sudden move. He was even more shocked to feel her arms enveloping him in a tight hug and the scent of wild flowers filled his noise and made him cling harder to her.

"I love you, sweetie. Never doubt that," she whispered in his ear and stroked his hair.

"I love you too, mum," he whispered back and kissed her cheek.

She smiled and took her seat again. "I'm glad we were able to work things out."

"Have you talked with father?" Draco asked carefully, trying to gouge how much his mother knew of Severus and his dad.

Her smile turned serene. "Yes, I talked to him, dear and I know of his relationship with Severus."

"How do you feel about that?" Draco asked softly, keeping her hand clasped between his.

"I love your father very much, Draco, but we were never in love," she told him and she sounded amused. "I have known for a very long time that his heart belonged to someone else and I'm happy that he is finally with the man he desires and loves. I wish him and Severus all the best."

Draco smiled. He should have known that his mother wouldn't have a problem with his father and Severus. She was too kind hearted for that.

"Now, why don't you tell me how long you have been dating Harry, hm?" she suddenly asked with a teasing smile and an excited glint appeared in her ice blue eyes.

Draco groaned and covered his head in his hand. "Mother, how did you discover that?"

"Dear, I can read."

"You mean Voldemort got the Prophet too?"

Narcissa laughed. "No, sweetie, though the news was quickly spread around after that particular article. No, I have seen you with Harry." She smiled softly at him. "I'm glad you found someone to make you happy, sweetheart. Harry is really one of a kind. Promise me you won't let him go."

"I promise, mother," Draco smiled. "I'm not planning on letting him go now that I finally have him."

"Good, now tell me, is he a good kisser?" Narcissa giggled when her son groaned in mortification. Ah, how she had missed this banter with her son. She couldn't help but tease her son with his love. It was obvious that he was smitten for the Potter boy and she couldn't wait until Draco would properly introduce Harry to her. Maybe she should give her son hints to speed up the meeting.

* * *

Sirius sighed and leant back against the pillows when Harry left them alone after an hour.

"How are you feeling?" Remus asked softly and he started to absently stroke Sirius' hair.

"I'm feeling good," Sirius smiled. "Now, care to tell me where you went during the fight? I couldn't find you anymore and I was worried sick." He scowled.

Remus pursed his lips and looked away. "I got my revenge on some people," he answered vaguely.

"On who?"

"Greyback and Bellatrix."

"My cousin is dead?" Sirius asked shocked.

Remus looked at him warily. "Yes, are you mad at me now?"

Sirius laughed surprised. "Why would I be angry at you? I'm relieved to hear that insane bitch finally went to hell. She was getting annoying these last couple of years." He grinned.

Remus smiled. "Glad to hear that."

Sirius smiled and surprised the other man by pulling him on top of his body.

"Sirius, what are you doing?" Remus frowned and tried to sit up but was prevented by arms holding his back and forcing him to lie down. "You need to rest."

"What I now need, is you," Sirius whispered and gave him a slow, soft kiss on his mouth, coaxing an unwilling moan out of his lover. "Please, Remus? I missed you so much. I want to feel you again." His lips trailed down to the tanned neck, drawing circles on it with the tip of his tongue, feeling Remus shiver underneath his actions which made him smirk.

"Sirius, we can't." Remus' voice sounded strangely strangled and his hands gripped the pillows besides Sirius' head. "You need to rest – you just woke up a few hours ago."

"I'm perfectly fine to make love to you," Sirius told him confidently. "Now why don't you shut down your mind, take off our clothes and ride me, hm?"

Remus sighed. "You're insufferable."

"Nah, you're just so hot." Sirius winked and playfully smacked his arse, making Remus yelp. His hands settled on the perky arse of his lover and started to knead his cheeks through his pants, making Remus moan softly. He brought his hips up and pushed Remus' hips down to create the heavily friction he so badly needed. "Please, Remus? I need you so much."

Remus made the mistake of looking into those grey blue eyes that were burning right into his own and made him forget his common sense. He had missed making love with Sirius and well, if his boyfriend insisted that he was well enough to perform, who was he to deny him?

"Complain to me that you're sore and I'm going to kick your arse, understood?" Remus murmured against teasing lips and grabbed his wand, muttering the enchantment that would remove their clothes.

Sirius sighed when hot, bare skin touched his own and he pulled the sheets back to look at the body on top of him. His fingers teased hard nipples and he revelled in the soft moans he managed to bring forth out of Remus. His hand trailed down over a muscled stomach and stopped when they reached a long, white line that signified a wound recently healed. He paused and traced that line with his finger, making Remus tremble underneath his touch.

"I – I got that one when I fought against Greyback," he whispered and settled his hands on Sirius' shoulders. He felt ashamed of the amount of scars on his body and knew that would make him look uglier than he was. Even after all those months he still couldn't believe that Sirius was willing to touch him and kiss him, much less make love to him. The first time they had had sex, he had been afraid his body would turn off the other man and had tried to hide underneath a blanket. Sirius wouldn't have any of it and had proceeded to show his werewolf lover how much he was turned on by him.

Still, that didn't make Remus less insecure about the huge scares that were littering his body.

"I'm glad you are here," Sirius whispered and caught his lips in a hard kiss, forcing his tongue in the mouth that had opened to gasp for air and proceeded to ravish Remus' mouth quite thoroughly, making the other man quite dazed by the time Sirius let go of him to breathe.

Remus panted and groaned when he felt the insistent hard cock pushing against his entrance. Sirius was getting impatient it seemed.

"Fingers or spell?" Remus brought out with difficulty and clenched his eyes shut when he felt hot lips surrounding his nipple. "Oh god," he groaned.

"Spell," Sirius murmured against the sweaty, tanned skin and his hands trailed over the quivering thighs and his mouth attached itself back to Remus' quite aggressively, leaving the man enough time to mutter the lubricant charm.

Remus hissed when he felt the cold lube suddenly inserting itself in his body and he wiggled around, trying to get used to it. A finger pressing against his entrance halted him and he held his breath, his forehead leaning against Sirius' sweaty shoulder, forcing himself to relax when he felt the digit slowly entering him.

"So nice and tight," Sirius hissed and forced his finger deeper, making Remus tremble on top of him. A second finger was inserted quickly afterwards and soon Remus was rocking on top of three fingers, moaning every time they brushed against his sweet spot and trying to feel them deeper.

"I think you're ready," Sirius said breathlessly and removed his fingers, ignoring the whine he received in protest. He put his hands on the slender hips of his lover and guided him on top of his hard cock that was already leaking pre come. Slowly he pushed up with his hips at the same time that Remus pushed down, taking more of him in with each push until he was fully in, making them pause for a minute.

Remus opened his eyes and noticed how flushed Sirius looked. He smirked and laid his hands on top of Sirius' chest.

"God, I love the feeling of your cock in me," he groaned and pushed up only to push down again harshly, making Sirius moan loudly in response. Hands tightened on his hips and he started to rock forwards, trying to find a good position where Sirius could hit his prostate when he rode him; he found it after a few minutes of slowly rocking and pushed his lips against swollen, red ones when he started to ride his lover for real now.

Quicker and quicker they went, Remus being guided by the hands on his hips and moans and groans filled the otherwise silent room, an occasionally 'I love you' whispered in each other's ears.

Remus groaned loudly and bit down harshly in Sirius' shoulder when his orgasm took over, a white light flashing behind his closed eye lids. His whole body trembled and shuddered and he clamped down on the hard cock inside of him harshly, drawing out a long moan of the man beneath him and he felt warm liquid hitting his walls, making him shiver.

They stayed in the same position until their shudders and trembles ceased and then Remus got up and laid down next to Sirius who pulled him in his arms.

"I love you," Sirius whispered in his ear and gave him a loving kiss.

"I love you too," Remus sighed and let himself be taken by the sweet feeling of sleep.

* * *

_5th of June_

Draco looked around the common room and took a sip of his Firewhiskey that he was now finally allowed to drink legally. Today was his birthday which meant he was now officially seventeen and could do magic outside of school without being caught for it. It also meant he would be seen as an adult by the Wizarding society.

The party was held in the Slytherin dorms, but his father, godfather and his mother had already delivered his presents. To his surprise he had even gotten presents from Lupin and Black, but like they had told him, he was now family to them so of course they would give him presents.

He hadn't opened his presents yet, because he had always liked that to do on the following day. It was kind of a ritual to him.

At first the Slytherins hadn't been sure whether it would be appropriate to throw a party when they had just lost some of their comrades, but like Daphne had stated, her sister and all the others who had died in the fight, would have wanted for Draco to have a real birthday party.

Only Slytherins were invited, because the tension between the houses was still high even though they had battled together not even two weeks ago.

Blaise had given him his present before waltzing off to make out with Daphne who was now trying to convince her boyfriend to stop drinking so much alcohol.

Draco snorted and put down his glass with a frown. After the quick birthday kiss he had received that morning, he hadn't seen Harry at all and he was getting worried about his boyfriend. Where was he and why was he not at the party? Was he in trouble? Had Ron decided to get revenge for his dead brother?

Just when he decided to search for his lost boyfriend, he felt cool skin slithering up against his arm and when he looked down he looked right into the eyes of Garin who had a … card tied around his neck.

Furrowing his eyebrows, Draco retrieved the card and Garin slithered down again, disappearing into their dorms.

' _Draco, it's time that you get my present. You need to go to the Room of Requirement to get it. I'll be waiting for you._

_Harry'_

A giddy feeling rose up in his stomach and he manoeuvred through the mass of dancing students quickly, eager to see what his boyfriend had in store for him.

_I wonder what kind of present Harry has for me_ , he wondered and quickly made his way up the stairs, taking short cuts where he could.

When he arrived in front of the plain looking door that hid the Room of Requirements, he stood still for a moment to calm down his breathing and force down the flush that had appeared on his face.

Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and slipped inside. His mouth fell open when he saw what kind of room he was in. There was only two pieces of furniture in the room; a large four poster bed that took up most space in the room and a white night stand where a small bottle with some clear liquid was placed on. The sunlight came through the only window, but the room managed to stay cool even though it had gotten quite hot outside.

But what surprised Draco the most was the image of Harry sitting naked save for his boxers on the bed, a bow tied around his chest.

When Harry caught his eyes, a fierce blush appeared on his face and he swallowed. "Happy birthday, Draco," he smiled and sat up on his knees.

"Harry, why is there a bow around you?" Draco asked and slowly made his way over to the bed, not taking his eyes of the naked chest of his boyfriend. "For that matter, why are you half naked? Not that I complain of course."

"Well, eh, I'm your present." Harry smiled at him shyly.

His heart started to beat wildly; did Harry mean what he thought he meant? Was he dreaming?

"I wanted to give you something special and well," Harry laughed nervously. "What's more special than my virginity, right?" His cheeks went even redder than before and he ducked his head, feeling his cheeks heating up.

Slowly Draco sat down in the bed, not daring to believe that this was true. "You really mean it, Harry?" he whispered and tilted up Harry's chin to look him in the eyes. "You don't have to do this if you're not ready. I can wait."

"I know I don't have to – I want to. I'm ready," Harry smiled bashfully. "I want to have sex with you, Draco."

_God, I'm one lucky son of a bitch_ , Draco thought dazed. Harry was sitting in front of him in nothing but black boxers and he was ready for sex. He was ready to do it with Draco.

"You're really sure?" Draco asked again, just to be certain. He didn't want Harry to feel pressured just because it was his birthday.

Harry nodded. "I'm really sure," he smiled and then his eyes shone mischievously. "I believe you are overdressed, Mister Malfoy."

Draco smirked. "I believe you are right, why don't you do something about it?" he breathed and caught Harry's warm lips in a kiss.

Harry made a surprised noise in the back of his throat, but kissed back eagerly, feeling the butterflies in his stomach slowing their flight slightly. With trembling hands, he started to lift up the white T-shirt that separated Draco's chest from his own and Draco raised his arms to help Harry take it off.

While Harry was busy working on the button and zipper of Draco's pants, Draco had untied the bow around Harry's chest and his mouth had found his favourite spot underneath Harry's ear.

Finally Harry managed to open his pants and he pulled them down quickly, kicking them off before pushing Harry on his back on the bed.

"You're so beautiful," Draco murmured and enjoyed the flush his words brought on Harry's face. He felt two warm, trembling hands sliding down his chest and paying extra attention to his nipples.

"You're not so bad yourself," Harry smiled nervously and opened his legs after a bit of hesitating. He felt Draco lower himself between his legs and had to hold back the gasp that wanted to escape when he felt a hard cock, covered by boxers, pressing against his own throbbing one.

He felt cool hands making their way over his chest and a moan escaped his throat when those warm, wet lips attacked his nipples.

"Fuck, this has to be the best birthday gift I got," Draco murmured and rose up to kiss Harry again, slipping his tongue inside as soon as Harry opened his mouth. He nibbled softly on the soft, plump lips and felt Harry's ragged breath hitting his cheeks.

They both moaned when their hips started to grind against each other and they pressed harder, trying to increase the friction.

Harry couldn't believe this was really happening. Today he was really going to lose his virginity, to Draco no less. He felt the butterflies kicking up again and tried to calm down. He knew he had to be relaxed in order for this to work, but he couldn't help but tense up whenever he felt hands straying towards his arse. He wanted this very much, but he was also afraid he would screw it up. What if he didn't move well? What if he sucked at it? Draco was the one with the experience, he had zero experience. What if he couldn't make Draco feel good?

"Relax, don't think too much," Draco whispered in his ear suddenly. "I'll be very careful, don't worry. I'll make you feel so good," he breathed and pushed down with his hips, making Harry whimper.

"I'm taking off our boxers now, okay?" Draco murmured against his cheek and when he felt Harry nod, he hooked his fingers behind the waistband of the black boxers and slowly pushed them down, making Harry hiss when his cock was exposed to the cool air.

Not wanting to be passive, Harry sat up and ignoring his naked body as best as he could, he pulled down Draco's boxers, gasping when he saw how huge Draco exactly was.

_Is that even going to fit in me?,_ he thought desperately.

"What did I say about too much thinking?" Draco's amused voice scolded him and he looked up. "Lay down, I'm getting the lube."

Harry nodded and lay down again, trying to keep his body as relaxed as possible. However, he couldn't help but tense up when Draco spread his legs and pulled them up.

Draco bent down to give him a soft a kiss. "Relax, all right? I'll be careful."

Harry nodded and looked at the ceiling, holding his breath when he felt a slick hand enveloping his cock and stroking it. He moved his hips in the hand, trying to get as much friction as he could, but even that distraction wasn't enough to keep him from tensing when he felt a wet, slick finger pushing against his tight entrance. He squeezed his eyes shut and forced his body to relax.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked worriedly. Harry felt incredibly tight around him and he only hoped he would be able to calm Harry down enough for him to enter him fully. He would need to fit something in that would be much bigger than his fingers and he didn't want to hurt Harry too much. Harry needed to enjoy this.

Slowly Harry breathed out. "Yeah, I'm okay. Go on," he said tersely and tried to concentrate on the feeling of the hand stroking his cock.

When two fingers entered him, he felt a sting and a slightly burning pain, but he told himself to relax, to just go with it. Draco knew what he was doing and he would be careful with him.

Three fingers proved to be difficult and it wasn't until Draco hit something deep in him that he finally relaxed fully and started to enjoy the sparks of pleasure that would course through his body every time Draco hit that particular spot.

By the time Draco removed his fingers, Harry was whimpering with need and his hips were pushing against his own.

However when Draco settled himself against the stretched and slicked entrance, Harry felt his body tense up.

"I'm going in now, okay?" Draco whispered and stroked Harry's sweaty hair back.

Closing his eyes, Harry nodded and forced himself to keep quiet. He couldn't help the tears escaping his eyes when something blunt and big forced his way inside of him and by the time Draco was fully in him, a burning pain had taken over his body and he felt like he was being torn in two. God, he knew it would hurt, but he didn't think it would hurt this much.

He buried his face against Draco's shoulder to prevent the boy from seeing his tears. He wanted to make Draco happy and if he saw him crying now, he wouldn't be able to go through with it.

"Sssh, it's okay. Try to relax," Draco murmured and kissed his temple. He felt Harry shivering against him and knew it was from the pain he felt. He had tried to be as careful as he could, but apparently Harry had been more tense that he had expected.

"It hurts," Harry said in a small voice and cursed himself for sounding so small. This was supposed to be Draco's birthday gift, he couldn't act like a baby now.

"I know it hurts, but I promise you that once you relax, I will make you feel so good, you will forget about the pain," he whispered and held himself perfectly still, though it was hard, being surrounded with tight hot walls, and knowing he was inside his lover now.

Slowly, very slowly, he could feel Harry relaxing his muscles and after getting a nod from the smaller boy, he started to move slowly, pulling out and pushing back in, making sure to hit Harry's sweet spot every time he pushed in.

He snaked his hand between their bodies, slick with sweat, and grabbed Harry's cock, stroking it in time with his thrusts.

Harry pushed his mouth against Draco's to initiate a passionate kiss and moaned when he was stimulated from both sides.

"Oh, god, Draco," he groaned and tightened his legs around Draco's hips, forcing him in deeper, moaning when that particular spot was hit harshly.

"Oh fuck, Harry," Draco moaned and started to speed up, slamming his cock inside Harry harder, making him tremble with the harsh thrusts. "Feels good, doesn't it?"

"Ye- yes, god, fuck, harder," Harry mewled and threw his head back.

Draco immediately latched on the pale skin of the bare throat and suddenly Harry was screaming his name and coming against his stomach. Muscles were contracting around his cock and that combined with the sight of a Harry trembling in the aftermath of his orgasm, was enough to send Draco off the edge too. He felt his seed hitting Harry's warm walls and he moaned loudly.

After they had regained their breath, Draco slowly pulled out of Harry, making him wince a bit.

Draco snuggled next to Harry and pulled him in his arms. "You were amazing, Harry," he sighed contently.

Harry blushed and hid his red face in Draco's chest, making the older boy chuckle. "You were fantastic as well."

Draco smiled and gave him a soft kiss on his lips. "Go to sleep," he whispered lovingly.

Harry smiled back and, ignoring the pain in his back that flared up whenever he moved, he snuggled closer to Draco, sighing contently.

Dumbledore was still out there, plotting ways to kill Harry and the air between the houses were still as tense as ever, but for now Harry didn't care about that. He was with Draco now and he had never felt as amazing as he did now.

Whatever would happen in the future could wait. For now Harry was content to lie there in bed with his lover, letting himself being caught by sleep.

* * *

Draco only woke up once, when he felt something burning in the back of his neck. He frowned at the feeling but shrugged, closing his eyes again. It was probably his inheritance setting in. His body was probably adapting to the larger amount of magic he would now have.

Oh, if only Draco knew the whole truth.

**Author's Note:**

> So what do you think of it?


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